SGG’s pro bono team continues to impact struggling families in our communities. In one such case, our firm initially worked on the naturalization application of an elderly gentleman. After he became a U.S. citizen, SGG helped him bring to the United States his wife and youngest child, from whom he had been separated for decades. Although our client had filed his an immigrant petition (Form I-130) for his wife in 1985, she was unable to attend her immigrant visa interview when a visa finally became available to her 8 or 9 years later. Her absence was the result of a family emergency but ultimately resulted in the termination of their case. Our client made several unsuccessful attempts to resurrect the case and remained separated from his wife and youngest child for many years. He lived with his two older U.S. citizen children in the United States while his wife and their youngest child remained in Mexico. Although they visited each other often, they struggled to support two households, as the financial and emotional burdens were overwhelming.
Thankfully, pro bono work by several members of SGG over a period of years helped to reunite this family. And the youngest child automatically acquired U.S. citizenship!