Diana’s Story

Diana* was a longtime community mobilizer, advocate for children and mayoral candidate in her hometown. Her life was repeatedly threatened by powerful and violent gang members due to her political views and courageous advocacy on behalf of an abused child. RILA was honored to represent her when an immigration judge granted her asylum last year.

I was forced to leave my entire life behind, my accomplishments, my job of over twenty years, and my family.  When I arrived in the United States, I applied for asylum because it was the right way to find refuge in the United States. Applying for asylum was a long process, but I persevered because I believe that wherever we find ourselves in need of refuge, it's important to follow all the steps of the country that opens its doors to us.

Having RILA become part of my life was a huge blessing and an extraordinary experience. RILA helped me from the very first step until I was granted asylum. There are no words to describe how outstanding everyone at this organization is. RILA is an organization that fully upholds moral values, and the most important thing is that God, our Lord, works for the good of every goal they pursue. From day one, RILA supported me, which made me feel comfortable enough to share aspects of my life I never thought I would be able to share with anyone. I believe that often, for people who arrive in the U.S. traumatized from our home countries, we think some details of our lives may be insignificant. But at RILA I learned that this isn't true, and that my entire story is important because it's part of who I am. Therefore, it needed to be heard.

For my family and me, asylum is a gift given to us first by God and then by this country. It fills us with hope and happiness because we no longer have to live in fear for our lives. It encourages us to be better and persistent each day, giving our best to reach our dreams. Sometimes I wake up crying with happiness because receiving asylum feels like a miracle. In the United States, I didn't have anyone who could have given me this great chance to live peacefully, but God brought RILA into my life, and for that, I will always be incredibly thankful to God and to every RILA member who worked on my case.

*Name has been changed to protect client’s privacy.