Magnolia Alvarez Velasquez

Ms. Velasquez is a Latin-American migrant from Guatemala who has been in the US for more than 15 years. She came to the US seeking work to create a better life for her children in Guatemala. Since being in the US her status as a citizen was uncertain and became volatile seeing as she was always under scrutiny as a street vender. Leaving behind her kids was an extremely tough decision fir Velasquez and because her status was uncertain, she wasn’t able to get her children here, thus leading her to her legal journey with Legal Aid. Legal Aid helped Ms. Velasquez bring both her children to the U.S. through the SIJS program that gives asylum to neglected children. In the end, she was reunited with her children and now is an activist for the decriminalization of street venders.  

Read Ms. Velasquez’s full story in our 2023 annual report.