Guest Post: Applying for Asylum

Macy is a member of our online community for asylum-seeking mothers. She wrote this post to share with other mothers about her experience fighting her case with the support of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP). The original Spanish version of the post is below.

Dear asylum-seeking mothers,

When I connected to ASAP’s online community, this was a big help in my life. Without ASAP’s assistance, I wouldn’t have been able to file my asylum application. When I went to court the first time and they wouldn’t accept my filing, I was so disappointed and frustrated. I messaged a mother from the online community about what happened and she encouraged me to go back and keep trying.

It was with her words and the encouragement of the ASAP representative I worked with, that I decided I should go back and try again. ASAP’s representative helped me understand that I should have the right to file my own documents and that it was important for me to advocate for myself. I went back a second time and the court accepted my filing. Before ASAP, I went to many places asking for help and no one was able to take my case. I almost gave up hope but I am so grateful to ASAP for taking my case, for the time they spent with me, and the way they talk to each of us in the online community, making sure that everyone has the information they need.

I want the mothers in the group to know that you shouldn’t lose hope. Sometimes you feel frustrated and you feel that no one is there to help you. In that moment, you have to trust in yourself and not lose hope in what is possible, because you will find the people who will give you the support you need.

-Macy

Note: ASAP manages private online communities for over 4,000 families who are currently fighting for asylum or other forms of protection in U.S. immigration courts. In addition to sharing information about the process of fighting their cases in immigration courts, ASAP offers pro se assistance to fill out certain forms, like the application for asylum. Through ASAP’s online community and legal assistance, we equip families with the tools they need to keep fighting their cases.