Because he was both a witness and a victim of police mistreatment in Mexico, Armando endured continued harassment, threats, violence, extortion, and robbery at the hands of a police officer and his friends. For years Armando endured the constant threats and violence against him.

L.W. and K.R. raised their child, A.W., together from the time that K.R. gave birth to him. After the couple split up, L.W. became the child’s sole caregiver. L.W. obtained a parentage judgment from a California court establishing that she is A.W.’s legal parent. L.W. is disabled and receives Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. A.W.’s application was initially denied because the Administration refused to recognize L.W. as his parent.

On July 24, 2002, Jorge Soto Vega filed for asylum based on persecution he suffered in Mexico because of his sexual orientation. As a child in Mexico, Soto Vega suffered abuse, harassment, and ridicule from family members and classmates because he was perceived to be gay. As a teenager, Soto Vega was severely beaten by officers of the Mexican police force upon suspicion that he was gay. The officers yelled derogatory slurs at Soto Vega as they threatened to kill him in order to “rid the streets of fags.” An immigration judge denied Soto Vega’s application for asylum, based on the judge’s view that Sota Vega does not “look gay.” The Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed the immigration judge’s ruling. Lambda Legal filed a petition for review of the Board’s denial with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. NCLR and the ACLU filed an amicus brief on his behalf. On June 2, 2006, the Court granted the petition for review and remanded the case to the Board in order to allow the agency to determine, based on the credible demonstration of past persecution, whether the government has rebutted the presumption of Soto Vega’s well founded fear of future persecution. On January 30, 2007, the Board granted Mr. Vega’s application.

Monica, a native and citizen of Colombia, came to the United States under a student visa. While in the United States, Monica came out as a lesbian and became an activist in the LGBT, immigration, and women’s rights movements. Since her coming out and artistic expressions of activism, Monica fears returning to Colombia where homosexuality is seen as a sin and gay people have to live in hiding.

As a teenager in Zimbabwe, W.K. was imprisoned for being gay and suffered harassment and abuse, including being shocked with an electric wire. An immigration judge denied W.K.’s petition for asylum and ordered him removed to Zimbabwe. The Eighth Circuit affirmed the decision. In 2006, NCLR and co-counsel petitioned the court to reconsider its decision, but the Court denied W.K.’s petition for reconsideration, making his order of removal to Zimbabwe final.

Dina, a native and citizen of El Salvador, knew at a young age that she was a lesbian. Living under this constant threat of exposure, Dina was pressured to marry a man. Her husband, a police officer, knew she was gay and used her sexual orientation to control her and her children. For years, he physically abused and raped her, causing near death experiences and prolonged hospital recoveries.

In September 2003, Vanessa left Nicaragua and fled to the United States in search of safety. Vanessa suffered repeated physical and emotional battering by her common law husband who abused her because of her desire for independence and because he knew she is a lesbian. NCLR partnered with local attorney Betsy Allen and filed an asylum application on her behalf based on her gender and sexual orientation.

In Mongolia, Shinegerel was arrested and detained by the Mongolian police because she is a lesbian. In custody, Shinegerel suffered severe physical abuse while being interrogated about her sexual orientation. She was also threatened with psychiatric hospitalization and imprisonment. NCLR represented Shinegerel at her asylum office interview. She was granted asylum by the San Francisco Asylum Office on March 15, 2005.