Earlier this year, Jailine Morocho, a CWS Lancaster Home Study and Post Release (HSPRS) case manager, received a new “case” — Ricardo, a father who had been in Pennsylvania for 2 years, had just been reunited with his 2 daughters, Isabel & Samantha.
Isabel and Samantha had presented themselves for asylum at the US border and had been processed as unaccompanied children after a long and stressful journey to the United States.
“It was an unforgettable moment,” Ricardo said, holding back tears as he recalled the moment he finally reunited with his daughters. “I had gone two years without seeing them. They were so big. I almost didn’t recognize Samantha because when I had left, she was so small.” He added that they spent the rest of the day as a family, sharing, “We did the many things I had dreamed of doing with them during the years we were apart.”
Isabella and Samantha were just 15 and 8 years old when they had to leave Guatemala, although the events that led to their displacement were many years in the making. Isabella and Samantha’s father, Ricardo, is from Nicaragua but was forced to flee the country when he was just 17 because of gang threats. In Guatemala, Ricardo met his wife, Lupita, and the couple gave birth to three children: Raul, Isabella and Samantha. Unfortunately, 16 years later, history repeated itself when Raul became a teenager and the gangs gave him only two options: join or be killed. Seeking a third option, the family made the decision that Raul would flee to the United States with his dad, where they would seek asylum.
For two years, Lupita and her two daughters remained in Guatemala, hopeful that the father and son could return when it was safe to do so. Their home that they loved so much and that Lupita remembers as “a beautiful land,” only became more dangerous for them. After many threats from other adults in their community, it became clear that the two girls were not safe. The girls fled to the US first, with their mother Lupita following a few months later once she was able to scrape together more money for her journey.
In Pennsylvania, the family has become whole again, feeling an overwhelming gratitude that they were all alive and well. When they found out the girls were eligible to receive post release services through CWS’s Home Study, Post Release Services program, they couldn’t believe it.
“Believe me, I never believed I would receive so much support. I’m so thankful to God because, for us, you are all like angels who have given us a hand. I’ve always believed in God, and I believe that God has placed people on earth who are angels to others. I pray that this organization is blessed,” said Lupita.
Jailine remembers that when she first met with the family to map out their 6 months of support services “Ricardo was nervous to take on caring for the 2 girls, he had not seen them for 2 years. He was excited to have them, however, and was very grateful for the support CWS could offer. Once their mother joined them, I saw what a fierce advocate she was for the girls. Both parents want to make sure the girls get every opportunity to succeed in the USA.”
As the months have passed, the girls have begun to settle into their new life. Since the family does not qualify for state health insurance in Pennsylvania, Jailine helped the family register at a local low-cost health clinic. In partnership with Jaline, the family registered Samantha and Isabella for school. When the girls attended their first day of school, they did so with an extra big smile and backpacks filled with school supplies that had been donated to the HSPRS program by a local church.
Lupita was extra excited to have her children attend school, sharing that she didn’t have the chance to go to school as a child because she grew up as a street child and orphan. She added that she didn’t learn to read or write until she was 14 years old and stated,
“My greatest dream is that my children become great people and accomplish what I couldn’t.”
Isabella, determined to provide safety in a way that she was unable to receive back home, has decided that she wants to become a police officer. Similarly, Samantha wants to become a doctor so that she can take care of people.
In their new life, the family enjoys fishing together and feels grateful that they no longer have to worry about not having enough food or experiencing dangers like the ones they faced in Guatemala. Ricardo, Lupita, Raul and the girls are now very settled into their new life. Ricardo has now received Temporary Protected Status (TPS) which has granted him a work permit and allowed him to find full-time employment. The girls are thriving in school and Lupita has been gifted a donated sewing machine through CWS. She hopes to become a tailor one day, but is excited to start small, working first on her family’s clothing.
*Note: pseudonyms have been used to protect the identity of the individuals in this story
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