Dominica’s Story

Dominica,* is a survivor of human trafficking and sexual assault. When Ayuda attorneys first met with Dominica, she was already attending regular check-in appointments with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Fairfax, Virginia, awaiting her...

Ayuda Client Shares Her Story for Sexual Assault Awareness Month

*Tali is a Middle Eastern woman who came to Ayuda seeking legal representation in obtaining a civil protection order (“CPO”) against her ex-husband and father of her child.  When Tali and Amir started dating, Amir was charming, caring, and kind. However, once they...

Erlinda’s Story: “I was trafficked by my diplomat”

Erlinda* came from the Philippines to work as a domestic worker for a diplomat in Washington D.C. She traveled on a visa for domestic workers of foreign dignitaries. However, upon her arrival in Washington D.C., Erlinda’s employer confiscated her identity...

Refugee, mother and survivor, becomes U.S. citizen after 8 years

It is because of supporters like you, that Ayuda was able to help save me and my family and put us on the path to recovery. In 2004, my family and I were separated. I was 19 years old and civil war had plagued my home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)....

From Victim to Survivor: Sabah’s Path to Recovery

Sabah is a young Middle Eastern woman who came to Ayuda seeking legal representation for a civil protection order against her ex-boyfriend, Tim. Sabah and Tim had been a relationship for two years. During their entire relationship, Tim was verbally, physically, and...