M. owned a small business in Ecuador where people could pay to use computers and printers. Around August 2018, M. discovered evidence that corrupt police officers were overcharging vendors at a local market near his shop, which he learned from a flash drive two officers left behind after using computers in M.’s store. When the officers came back to retrieve the flash drive, they warned M. that he would have problems if he had looked at the contents of the flash drive and spoke out against them. Afterwards, M. began to receive threats from the police and a gang affiliated with the police. Around January 2019, gang members kidnapped M. and took him to a remote location where they beat and robbed him. After this incident, M. fled the country. People continued to look for him at his shop and threatened to harm his girlfriend and daughter, which led them to flee as well. M.'s merits hearing is on 2/24/2025.

E. has been the victim of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse by her U.S. citizen daughter. On one occasion, E.’s daughter came home intoxicated and demanded E. to hand over daughter’s baby, to which E. refused due to her daughter's intoxication. Daughter hit E. twice in the face while E. was holding the baby. E. kicked daughter out of the house; however, daughter snuck back inside through the window. The window was caught in daughter’s arms, so E. opened the window concerned with her safety and daughter bit E.’s finger severely. Once the daughter let go, she waited outside the front porch and E. called the police and daughter was arrested. E. got an order of protection against her daughter. E. has sought counseling to heal from the abuse she endured by U.S. citizen daughter. E. is eligible to file a VAWA self-petition concurrently with an application for adjustment of status and employment authorization. There is no set deadline.

D. and A. are siblings aged 14 and 12, from Honduras. They live with their mother. D. and A.'s father was physically abusive to their mother, and both children witnessed this abuse. As a result, their mother decided to separate from their father. Shortly thereafter, she immigrated to the United States. During this transition, D. and A. stayed with their aunt. D. arrived in the United States in July 2023, and A. arrived in August 2023. They were able to reunify with their mother at that time. Since their parents' separation, their father has contacted them only once and has not provided financial or emotional support to D. and A.