July 29, 2025
Before stepping into an immigration courtroom, Alexandra felt like her heart might stop. She had made the journey to the United States alone, carrying with her the weight of trauma no child should ever have to endure. In her home country of Guatemala, she had suffered unspeakable abuse and exploitation. The people who should have protected her didn’t, and in some cases, harmed her instead.
She was just 15 when she was sexually abused and trafficked. When local authorities failed to act, Alexandra knew she had to flee. Her only choice was to escape—to seek safety in the United States, hoping she would find freedom from fear.
But reaching the United States was not the end; it was the start of a new journey within the U.S. immigration system. After being apprehended by immigration authorities, she was sent to a government shelter. “I was really afraid,” she said. “I feared that [they] were going to send me back to the same people I had fled from.”
Eventually, Alexandra’s case was referred to immigration court. That’s when the anxiety came flooding back. “I felt nervous. What makes immigration court so difficult is that you are forced to tell your story over again. At that point, I had already included a written declaration detailing my abuse in detail. I wish the declaration would have been sufficient and that the government did not want to hear additional testimony. But that was not the case.”
One of the most difficult moments came when she was shown a photo connected to her traumatic past. “I felt like I was there all over again and relieved those painful moments again.”
But she wasn’t alone. By her side stood a KIND attorney, someone who not only believed her but fought for her. “I felt secure in my representation. My attorney gave me a therapeutic tool to use while we were waiting for the hearing and that helped,” Alexandra said. “I never felt like just another case.”
When her asylum was granted, the KIND team celebrated with her. They even threw a party themed around Ratatouille, her favorite movie. “It always makes me hungry. KIND made me feel like family and I was so happy to share such an important moment in my life with them.“
Today, Alexandra is working full-time at a shelter in California, helping unhoused people. Her dream is to return to school and support other young women who have survived similar trauma as her. Most of all, she hopes to give her children a better life so that they never experience what she did as a child.
I felt nervous and I had a lot of anxiety. My case was previously at the asylum office and it got referred to immigration court. The day of the hearing I kept thinking that the immigration judge was not going to grant my case for insufficient evidence. This was really difficult for me. My attorney gave me a therapeutic tool to use while we were waiting for the hearing and that helped. I tried my best to focus on the present and not on my nerves.
It was very difficult to have to discuss what happened to me in immigration court. When I was showed a photo of [a traumatic moment in my past], I felt like I was there all over again and relieved those painful moments again.
What makes immigration court so difficult is that you are forced to tell your story all over again. At that point, I had already included a written declaration detailing my abuse in detail. I wish the declaration would have been sufficient and that the government did not want to hear additional testimony. But that was not the case and I understood that in order for me to receive asylum, I had to answer the additional questions.
I learned about KIND because I was looking for an attorney for my immigration case. Eventually, KIND contacted me and told me that they were going to take my case. When I spoke with KIND, I immediately felt comfortable and secure with the organization. Prior to finding KIND, I had another attorney and I barely spoke with her. I only saw her on one occasion and we needed to use an interpreter because my previous attorney did not speak Spanish. At KIND, I was able to speak with my attorney in person and did not need to use an interpreter. I felt more secure in my representation and found it easier to talk about my abuse with my KIND attorney. My KIND attorney also threw me a Ratatouille party after I received asylum. Ratatouille is one of my favorite movies and it always helps build my appetite. I view the KIND team like my family and I was so happy to celebrate with them after such a happy moment in my life. I have always been treated with love at KIND and my experiences were affirmed. I never felt like just another case.
I would tell [them] that it is going to be difficult to forget everything that happened to [them]. However, [they] should continue to find strength to fight for another day and know that things will get better.