Kelly Ochoa and Elizabeth Murphy have become quite close with two of the first immigrants we met back in January, a 29-year-old mother and her 13-year-old daughter. They crossed the border into Texas on Christmas Eve. After about ten days in detention in El Paso, they were released at a bus station and rode for three days and nights until arriving in Massachusetts. Mom is very resourceful and determined, having traveled to New Bedford without a support network in place on her arrival. She found a place to live, registered her daughter in school, received critical medical care, and even began work. After her first month or so in the US, she was so energized by the life she thought was coming together for her small family.

Unfortunately, stability has been impossible to find, which is incredibly common not only in the immigrant community, but for all those living in poverty. Work is sporadic. Housing demand is high, and affordable options are few, so the idea of moving is truly daunting. The good news is that our younger friend is excelling in school. She is learning English and is beloved by her teachers, a special point of pride for her mother, of course.

Recently, we spent a heart wrenching afternoon helping Mom wrestle with the decision to stay in New Bedford, where she has been building true community but had no income, or follow an unfamiliar relative to Georgia where there may be more work. Traveling to Georgia would force Mom to leave her daughter behind of a month or two to finish school, relying on her new friends to care for her. Mom’s anguish was almost unbearable, as she feared leaving her little girl, but feared even more the grim reality that she could not provide for her much longer without work.

We didn’t have a solution for her, which was incredibly frustrating and humbling. We could only offer prayers and a promise to keep trying. We made calls to employers, talked to neighbors, and emailed community resources. We drove her to places where she heard there may be jobs. Those visits led us to staffing agencies. It seemed like nothing was coming together, but she tried to stay optimistic. We tried as well, but it was incredibly worrisome.

Then things began to shift again! Today she has found a new job, and while it is only 3 days per week, the conditions are good and there may be additional work available there soon. She is thrilled with this turn of her luck, but also quite worried, as she needs to find a new place to live in only a matter of weeks. Renting an apartment requires a few months of rent upfront, which is so hard to pull together on such limited income.

Our friends need to hire attorneys to help them file their claims for asylum in the U.S. Again, these fees are crushing for those struggling to even buy food and basic supplies. However, an asylum claim will be critical to hopefully gaining full legal status in the United States.