Desperate for Asylum
Illustration by Lorenzo Conti
Desperate for Asylum
A Brazilian woman fleeing domestic abuse in her homeland wanted asylum in the United States, for herself and her two children. When her plea for help landed in the hands of three BUlaw students who had never tried a case before, it was up to them to convince a skeptical judge that she deserved a shot at a new life.
In this series
-
Part 1 Could Three BU Law Students Win Asylum for a Brazilian Mother Fleeing for Her Life?
A Brazilian woman fleeing domestic abuse in her homeland wanted asylum in the US, for herself and her two children. Maria had no money. And her request came as President Trump was cracking down on asylum seekers and separating families at the border. When her plea for help landed in the hands of three Boston University law students who had never tried a case before, it was up to them to convince a skeptical judge that she deserved a shot at a new life. And the clock was ticking.
-
Part 2 Courtroom Drama: Tears, a Skeptical Judge, a Heart-Wrenching Decision
Maria's hearing was one month away. The law school students were nervous. They had listened to her terrifying stories about a life full of abuse and violence. If she and her children were forced to return to Brazil, who knew what would happen to them. But the Justice Department had ruled that domestic abuse was not reason enough to grant someone asylum. Their argument to the judge had to be powerful—and convincing.
-
Part 3 One Immigrant’s Story Retold Through Pictures, Words, and Sounds
In powerful pictures, words and sounds straight from a Boston courtroom, this is the story of how one woman from Brazil, and her two children, placed their fate and their future into the hands of a group of law school students from Boston University.