Luis, a 24-year-old gay man from Mexico, suffered years of discrimination, harassment, ostracism, and exclusion from school, sports, his family, and peers because of his sexual orientation. Rather than protect him, police officers in Mexico physically assaulted Luis on numerous occasions.

In August, 2003, Luis left Mexico seeking safety in the United States. After months of unsuccessfully searching for legal representation, Luis turned to NCLR for assistance. NCLR contacted immigration attorney Kelly McCown who agreed to represent Luis pro bono with assistance from NCLR. On November 22, 2004, Luis was granted asylum by the San Francisco Asylum Office.