Jane eagerly awaits her appointment with her legal advocate. During her session, her advocate explains what to expect during her upcoming date in court and helps her prepare to confront the person who has caused her so much harm, finally putting a stop to his harassment. Before the appointment ends, Jane’s advocate offers to accompany her to court and tells her that Radiant Futures can help with her U visa application.
The news brings a smile to Jane’s face, and she shares that she is relieved that someone is finally listening to her.
For the past three years, Jane had been the subject of multiple forms of abuse, including cyber, sexual, and emotional. On multiple occasions, her partner John would drug her and take pictures of her without her consent. He would then use these photos as a form of leverage against her. Jane finally gained the courage to bring the abuse to the authorities’ attention after John retaliated against her for leaving him, reporting her to ICE and publishing her intimate photos online without her permission. While at the police station, law enforcement directed Jane to community services, who helped her file for a restraining order and directed her to Radiant Futures for further support.
Unfortunately, Jane’s story is a very common occurrence within undocumented communities due to misinformation and lack of knowledge around the resources that are available to them. Radiant Futures’s legal advocates fill this gap by providing information about the court process, their rights as victims of crime, and providing emotional support when they go to court or the police station to file reports. Due to the added fear undocumented survivors have of deportation, legal advocates also provide immigration screenings and can help survivors apply for immigration benefits such as U visa or VAWA.
Jane currently has a five-year restraining order against John and is getting ready to submit her U visa immigration case so that she can continue her road to recovery. If you or someone you know can benefit from this program, please contact Radiant Futures’s 24/7 Helpline at 877-531-5527 for more information.