Jerry

Jerry came to the U.S. from Eritrea as a student.  His academic visa was about to expire, and he urgently wanted to file an application for asylum.  His life was in danger if he returned since Jerry has been detained and tortured under the Eritrean government on multiple occasions.  While performing forced hard labor in a military camp, he had participated in student protests and was jailed by the Eritrean government on false charges of draft dodging.

American Gateways helped Jerry file his first asylum declaration, researched country background issues and found documentation that specifically confirmed Jerry’s story.  American Gateways filed the application and its 200+ pages of supporting documents just days before the one-year deadline and arranged for an attorney in Houston to go with Jerry to interview at the asylum office. 

The documentation prepared in Jerry's case is helpful in other Eritrean cases, including the similar case of a young man in the Eritrean navy who sought out our help.  The free and low-cost legal services that American Gateways provided to Jerry would have cost more than Jerry could afford with a private attorney.

Ten days later Jerry was thrilled to have his asylum approval and work permit.  Jerry has joined the Eritrean-American community in San Antonio, and he is a happy, productive member of society.