Client Stories
Salvadoran woman fleeing violence who came to Sonoma County with her teenage son
“I am thankful to God and to the Secure Families Collaborative… I came having no knowledge of this new area and was thinking ‘how am I going to pay so much money for a lawyer?’. My lawyer told me not to worry, we will find a way you can win your case and you can have a better life for you and your son. And we won the case and I cannot thank the Collaborative enough for how much they’ve changed my life.”
Two Sonoma residents finally feel secure in the country they have called home for more than 20 years
The couple immigrated to the United States from Mexico two decades ago in search of a better life. They settled in Sonoma County, where they began their family and raised their three children.
With the help of the Collaborative’s nonprofit legal services, the couple are now Green Card holders, and are on the path to United States Citizenship.
When sharing their story, they say they could not have afforded the high price of a private immigration law firm. They are grateful a community-based organization like the Secure Families Collaborative exists in Sonoma County to make sure all families have access to quality, affordable immigration legal services.
“We are very grateful. Our attorney was always available to answer any questions we had and to give us reliable information.
During the pandemic, even though a lot of places closed down, we were still able to move forward with our immigration process thanks to the Collaborative being able to serve us remotely. Now, we feel more secure and have more stability as permanent residents.”
U-visa Client feels safe once again to be able to work and help her family while continuing to achieve her academic goals
A 17-year-old U-visa client recently came to Sonoma County with her parents from a small Mexican village.
After 8 months at her new job, her supervisor began to harass her. He had a long history of mistreating female workers. After several incidents where she rejected his advances, the supervisor threatened her with reducing work hours and switching her to the night shift if she did not comply.
She knew she should report him, but she was scared she could be fired or deported. Her abuser was well-liked; none of the other victims had reported the harassment.
After another incident, she told him she would report him. He then threatened to hurt her family, as he knew where they lived.
Days later, the family dog disappeared from their home. She had no doubt her abuser was involved.
After this incident, she was terrified and began to suffer from anxiety and depression. She saw a psychologist. After sharing her story, the psychologist suggested she report the abuse to law enforcement.
While still terrified and intimidated, she courageously reported her abuser to law enforcement. An officer took her statement and filed a report. Feeling supported, she then reported the abuse to her company’s HR Department. Her abuser was immediately separated from his duties and eventually fired.
Her psychologist talked to her about the possibility of applying for an immigration benefit since she had cooperated with law enforcement for the investigation. The psychologist recommended the Immigration Department at Catholic Charities, a key SFC partner.
We're here to help you
Estamos aquí para ayudarte
Nou la pou ede ou.
我们随时准备为您提供帮助
The Sonoma County Secure Families Collaborative
422 Larkfield Center #227
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 856-4988
We're here to help you
Estamos aquí para ayudarte
Nou la pou ede ou.
我们随时准备为您提供帮助
The Sonoma County Secure Families Collaborative
422 Larkfield Center #227
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 856-4988