Fleeing the murderous streets of their home in Guatemala, two teens, Jorge and Manuel (names changed to protect confidentiality), made their way to northeast Iowa to rejoin family members. They were two of the thousands of unaccompanied minors who sought refuge from being forced to join the violent gangs who control many cities in Honduras and Guatemala, and therefore Jorge and Manuel were eligible for the SIJS (Special Immigrant Juvenile Status) program.  But they needed a guardian who was a US citizen.

Enter Kathi Mitchell, one of the mainstays of Path to Citizenship.  Kathi agreed to serve as legal guardian.  While the boys live with family members, Kathi visits them a couple times a month, transports them to legal and other appointments, and closely follows their academic progress. Kathi also loves to attend their school sporting events, as both boys have excelled in track, soccer, and American football.   

Kathi reflects that while in Guatemala, the boys just tried to stay alive, but now they have a future. Now that they have their green cards, giving them legal permanent residency, she’s looking forward to visiting colleges this spring, and to both boys’ high school graduation in May 2018. Jorge would like to become a teacher and Manuel to pursue a profession that involves art.

Northeast Iowa has a high concentration of unaccompanied minors and Kathi is committed to showing these children they are loved and that they matter.  As Jorge and Manuel continue steps toward citizenship, she is ready to begin the journey anew with the next youth. “It’s what the Bible commands us to do.”

Jorge and Manuel are one success story among the many that Path to Citizenship has made possible this past year.

Cristian is a 16 year old from Guatemala. Cristian left Guatemala because there were no opportunities for him there. Since the age of 12 he was no longer able to attend school because his parents would not pay for him to go to school. Rather, he was told he had to work in order to help support his younger siblings. He was also having problems with his father. His father is an alcoholic. Shortly before Cristian left Guatemala, he and his father had an altercation and his father hit him. While it was the only time his father has physically abused Cristian, Cristian has witnessed his father abusing his mother for many years. Cristian also left Guatemala because of the growing gang violence. He left when he was 15 years old, which is prime recruitment age for the gangs. Cristian is now reunited with his uncle in Iowa. His uncle reached out to JFON and we are currently assisting Cristian with his petition for SIJS.