Cleary Gottlieb successfully represented Ms. G, a citizen of El Salvador, in her application for T nonimmigrant status (T visa).
Ms. G was referred to the firm by Tahirih Justice Center (Tahirih), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., which provided support throughout the process. T visas are available to those who are or have been victims of human trafficking.
In 2013, Ms. G. was fraudulently induced by her traffickers to move to the United States on the basis of an employment contract that her traffickers never intended to honor. Over the next four years, Ms. G’s traffickers coerced her to work for them against her will by psychologically and verbally abusing her, including not allowing her to leave the house for two years. Ms. G was able to escape her traffickers in April 2017 with the help of Tahirih and reported her traffickers to law enforcement.
Cleary filed Ms. G’s T visa application in March 2018, and it was granted on March 31, 2020. Ms. G is now able to live and work legally in the United States and will eventually be eligible to apply for lawful permanent residence and U.S. citizenship. In addition, the T visa will provide a basis for closing Ms. G’s removal proceedings, thus preventing her deportation from the United States.