Cleary Gottlieb’s pro bono client Ms. A was granted asylum in the United States on April 27, 2017.
Ms. A was trapped in a physically and emotionally abusive relationship for over 10 years with her ex-partner, who was also the father of her children. She was routinely subjected to regular beatings and degrading verbal insults, and lived in a state of constant fear and depression for many years. In 2014, after he threatened her with a knife in front of their children, Ms. A fled to the United States with her daughter. After leaving Honduras, Ms. A’s ex-partner continued to contact and threaten to physically harm Ms. A if she returned to Honduras. Ms. A applied for asylum in March 2015.
Cleary, in conjunction with Human Rights First, worked with Ms. A, her friends and family and various experts to corroborate Ms. A’s account of domestic violence and the harm Ms. A would face if returned to Honduras, including the police’s unwillingness to protect her.
On April 27, an Immigration Judge in New York granted asylum to Ms. A and derivative asylum to her daughter based on Ms. A’s membership in the particular social group of Honduran women who are unable to leave their domestic relationships. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security waived its right to appeal.