Salvadoran mother and daughter obtain asylum after fleeing gang persecution

Client(s) S.P.; J.C.

Jones Day successfully represented clients S.P. and J.C. in obtaining asylum. S.P. and J.C. fled El Salvador after being threatened and attacked by Barrio 18 gang members. They arrived in the United States in January 2017 and promptly sought asylum.

In El Salvador, S.P. was thrust into the middle of a gang dispute when the police publicly arrested and falsely accused her of being involved in the murder of a gang associate. With no evidence against her, the Salvadoran court was forced to drop all charges. However, the public nature of the accusations put her in the gang's crosshairs. S.P. became the target of repeated gang persecution, which eventually culminated in a vicious attack and threats to her daughter, J.C. After fleeing to the United States, S.P. sought asylum based on her membership in the particular social group consisting of non-gang members publicly accused and arrested for committing acts hostile to a gang's interests. J.C. sought asylum based on her membership in the particular social group consisting of S.P.'s nuclear family.

Jones Day compiled an extensive record and submitted thorough briefing to support the asylum claims of its clients. At the conclusion of the hearing, the immigration judge found S.P. to be credible and thanked Jones Day for its effort in presenting her claims.