The story of the Rojas family is compelling, and I believe they merit
Congress's special consideration for such an extraordinary form of
relief as a private bill. Jorge and Oliva originally came to the United States in 1990 when
their son Jorge Rojas, Jr., was just 2 years old. In 1995, they left
the country to attend a funeral and then reentered the United States on
visitors' visas. The family has grown to include three U.S. citizen children: Alexis,
now 24 years old, Tanya, 22 years old, and Matias, now 7 years old. Jorge and Oliva are also the grandparents of Meena Rojas. The Rojas family first attempted to legalize their status in the
United States when an unscrupulous immigration consultant, who was not
an attorney, advised them to apply for asylum. Unfortunately, without
proper legal guidance, the family did not realize at the time that they
lacked a valid basis for asylum. Their asylum claim was denied in 2008,
leaving the Rojas family with no further options to legalize their
status. Since their arrival in the United States more than 20 years ago, the
Rojas family has demonstrated a robust work ethic and a strong
commitment to their community in California. They have paid their taxes
and worked hard to contribute to this country.
Keywords matched
immigration asylum claim visas