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After Heidy’s abuser threatened her life, she put her dream of being a teacher on hold and left everything in Honduras to make a dangerous journey with her two-year-old daughter. She hoped to find safety in the United States, but instead the two were sent to a family detention center in Texas. A visit from a legal services provider helped Heidy and her daughter eventually secure freedom and make her way to Indiana, where she reunited with family and connected with NIJC. After many years of legal advocacy with NIJC’s Indiana team, Heidy won asylum, became a permanent resident, and then a citizen. Today, Heidy and her daughter are part of a close community in Indiana, and she is again pursuing her life-long dream of being a teacher.
Heidy shared her story in this video, which premiered at the 26th Annual NIJC Human Rights Awards in June 2025.