Reuniting Families

Many RILA families know the searing pain of being separated from each other. Human trafficking, persecution and the threat of imminent harm and danger often tears families apart–leaving parents, children and siblings separated from one another with hundreds of miles and international borders between them. After persevering through long and tedious immigration journeys, we are able to help some families reunite and live together in safety. At RILA, we have the privilege of sharing in the indescribable joy of parents, children and siblings seeing each other again.

One such client is Alma* who, along with her oldest child, was trafficked into the United States in 2019, separating her from her two younger children. She says, “My son was 4 years old, and my daughter was 9 years old. Leaving them in Honduras felt like I was losing a part of myself because not a day went by without me thinking and worrying about them. I always carried with me those feelings of wanting to see and hug my children.”

In 2022, RILA helped Alma obtain legal status as a survivor of human trafficking. After securing status for Alma and her son, we began to work on petitions for her two younger children. Finally, after nearly five years of being apart, Alma and her son were reunited with her younger children just this past May. “It was an incredibly beautiful and overwhelming experience. I was filled with happiness and surprise to see how much they had grown. My daughter is now a fifteen-year-old teenager, and my son is nine years old. Both have grown up so much.”

“When we first started living together as a family, I noticed that my children were quite shy around me. However, as time went by, they began to open up and trust me more. I hope to continue working hard to give my children everything they need to continue their studies and become professionals in this country. I am extremely grateful to the RILA organization for the support and assistance they have provided me. Thanks to them, I now have my children with me.”

*Name has been changed for safety.