P. was a teacher, who, as a government worker, was expected to support the government in power, “the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola” (the 
MPLA). P. refused to participate in pro government marches and offer his support to the MPLA. P.’s wife, Q., occasionally showed support for the government's 
opposition and participated in anti-government marches. During one of these marches, security guards saw Q. and identified her as part of the opposition party. Soon after, P. and his family began to receive threatening phone calls in which they were accused of being traitors. P. believes that the MPLA was targeting them as anti-government. Over the next few months, P. was kidnapped, beaten, threatened with death, and persecuted. His wife and children were also victims of attempted harm including threats and attempted kidnapping. The family reported multiple instances of harm to the police, but they never received any protection. In September 2022, men on motorcycles followed and shot at P. and the children. They fled Angola and eventually entered the United States in February 2023.

Deadline: Merits hearing on 6/24/25

P. understood that she was attracted to other women during her teenage years, but was too afraid members of her family or community would harm her and was not open about her sexual orientation. However, someone leaked photos of P. and her girlfriend around 2020 and members of P.’s community threatened and verbally abused her. In late 2020, members of P.’s church followed her to her family’s home and told her father they needed to exorcize her to rid her of her attraction to women. They beat P. and locked her in a room in the house. P.’s mother helped her escape and P. fled to Togo and then Brazil. P. stayed in Brazil for 11 months until members of her church continued to threaten her, saying they knew where she lived. P. fled to the United States in January 2022.

Deadline: Merits hearing on 7/25/25

A. has been the victim of emotional, financial, and physical abuse by her U.S. citizen son. On one occasion, A.’s son tried hitting her and threw objects at her. A. fled to another room to escape, and her son fled the home. As A. went outside, she witnessed her son damaging the windows of her other son's car. A. called the police and filed a report. A. received counseling to seek support for the violence she has suffered from U.S. citizen son. 

A. is eligible to file a VAWA self-petition concurrently with an application for adjustment of status and employment authorization. There is no set deadline.