Ghebreslase, known as “Gabby,” was forced to flee Eritrea and leave his pregnant wife behind as he sought safety in the U.S. “I didn’t know she was pregnant – she had our child while I was in a refugee camp and prisons,” he shares.
After arriving to the U.S. seeking asylum, Gabby was detained at the York Detention Center for about six months before being granted asylum in June 2018. “I was detained at York Immigration Center and the Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC) with the cooperation of CWS and a volunteer interpreter helped me to prepare my case to the immigration court. Thanks to PIRC and CWS, along with the help of my volunteer interpreter who has spent a lot of his time and money to make my case successful.”
When the judge released him, Gabby had few people he knew to turn to for support. “I didn’t know anybody around here. The interpreter with his wife and children hosted me at their house. So, I stayed in Lancaster, PA, I love Lancaster — a place of productivity,” Gabby shares.
Gabby faced challenges due to poor eyesight from his time in the Eritrean military and couldn’t get a driver’s license. “One day Gabby walked all night from Urban Outfitters in Gap back home to Lancaster City after his ride fell through at 1:00 am because there were no buses available – it took him three hours!” Dawn Sandoval, Immigration Legal Services Supervisor, reflects.
Gabby worked closely with CWS Lancaster’s Immigration Legal Services program staff to file paperwork for his wife and son through the I-730 family petition process, but his family faced difficulties leaving Eritrea due to immigration restrictions and backlogs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually, the family made it to Ethiopia where Gabby was able to reunite with them after years apart. Despite delays, Gabby’s persistence paid off as his wife and son were granted asylum and arrived to the U.S. in August 2024 – reuniting the family after over seven years of separation. “I now have my six-year-old son! Thank you, America, for being on my side,” Gabby shares excitedly.
For Gabby, home means much more than a place to live; it is a place where he can live comfortably and securely with his wife and son.
“Home is a place where you feel very comfortable. Home is your secured area of residency. I feel that here in Lancaster, I’m more comfortable than elsewhere.”
Now Gabby’s goal is to see his son go to school and his wife join the workforce, or as he says, the “American Production Team.” His experience has taught him that it takes time to work toward these goals. He wants newcomers to know that coming to the United States has challenges but rewards to follow.
“I encourage [newcomers] to be honest, patient, and real. Never forget your background. We are here to help and make a difference in the world.”