Lisa came from a town in Colombia that was plagued with guerrilla warfare, kidnappings, assassinations, and drugs throughout the 1990’s. Fearing for her safety, Lisa’s parents were able to arrange a visa for her to come to Chicago and stay with family.

It was here that she met Steven who seemed like a perfect guy.

When Lisa became pregnant, Steven’s true character began to come out.

Over the course of their ten-year relationship, Steven was emotionally and physically abusive.  He isolated Lisa from her family and friends, and even threatened her life. It was after an altercation with Steven that occurred when Lisa was picking up their sons, that Lisa filed for an Order of Protection.

With the help of Ascend Justice and through receiving an Order of Protection, Lisa has been able to move on with her life. She has found a full-time job to support her and her children.  She bought a home.  Lisa is even taking time to address her mental and physical health needs.

Ascend Justice’s holistic approach along with help from pro bono attorneys means Lisa could easily secure her protection beyond the Order of Protection.  Without further trauma, Lisa continued to work with Ascend Justice and filed her U-Visa application which will further protect her. She plans to start college so she can continue to provide for her family.