June 2003--One of our clients (female) who
was trafficked into the United States from Nigeria at the age
of 11, with promises of a better life, took care of two children
and performed housework without remuneration, sexually abused
her by her captor starting at the age of 11, and impregnated
her at the age of 13, placed in a foster care agency by New
York City Child Welfare Administration with no adequate services,
interviewed by Bronx District Attorney’s Office and was
never provided with the necessary social and immigration services
or referrals, her captor pled guilty to a statutory rape charge
in Bronx criminal court in 1992 still no adequate services
was provided to her, had no form of personal identification,
no document, her family ties were broken and her true identity
was lost for several years, previously received notice for
voluntary departure from the immigrations dept., currently
has some very serious physical and mental health issues, has
no family members or relatives in the United States, currently
stranded, currently living with a very generous American family
she met in foster care placement over 13 years ago, denied
passport by Nigerian Consulate in New York, longing to adjust
her immigration status, and to visit her family in Nigeria
for the first time in over 15 years, was recently awarded a
T visa by the U.S. Immigrations Service. Fundraising to assist
her visit her family in Africa may be conducted at appropriate
time.