Rosa, 11, and Alejandra, 9, are sisters from El Salvador. They are close to each other, dress similarly, and sit next to each other whenever possible.

Growing up, Rosa and Alejandra faced many challenges in their family and community. They were both sexually abused by their grandfather and had never had a chance to seek professional help to heal from that trauma. They were also verbally and physically abused by their father. In addition to the violence inside their home, they faced threats in the community. Because Rosa and Alejandra’s father had a successful taxicab business, MS-13 gang members targeted the family for extortion and violence. Family members were threatened to death at gun point and one of their taxicabs were torched. After the gang members alerted the family that they knew every detail of Rosa and Alejandra’s whereabouts, the family was afraid to let the girls go to school unless they were guarded by their father. In fear for their lives, their parents made the difficult decision to flee their home country.

The girls and their father arrived at the border in September 2019, but instead of getting a chance to seek safety in the United States, they were forced to return to the border city of Matamoros after being subjected to the Trump administration’s Remain in Mexico policy. Their mother traveled separately and was able to enter the United States.

In Matamoros, Rosa and Alejandra’s father found a small room to rent. The girls were unable to attend school and rarely allowed to leave the room out of fear that they would be harmed or kidnapped. After waiting in fear for four months, the girls and their father attended three hearings at the tent courts held at the border. During the first hearing, the girls only addressed the court to state their names and ages, after which the immigration judge told them that their father would speak for them. Deprived of the chance to tell their stories, the girls quietly sat in the back of the courtroom. During the second hearing, the judge did not speak directly to the sisters, not even to ask their names. Their father managed to retain counsel, who filed identical applications for protection for each member of the family based on the gang threats. Without separate counsel, Rosa and Alejandra couldn’t seek protection on the basis of the abuse and violence they had faced growing up. Denied due process and a fair chance to seek safety, the girls’ asylum claims were denied, and they were ordered to be deported with their father.

When they returned to Matamoros, Rosa and Alejandra felt hopeless and fearful and they missed their mother. One day, their father left their apartment and never returned. A family friend brought the two girls to the border alone, where they crossed and were placed in government custody. Eventually, their father resurfaced in Matamoros—he had been assaulted, robbed, and left without a phone for a time.

While in government custody, Rosa and Alejandra were temporarily placed in the care of a loving foster family while they sought reunification with their mother. They were also able to obtain an attorney and seek legal relief. While in government custody, the girls rarely spoke about their father, and indicated that they were afraid of seeing him again because he had been abusive.

One day, when Rosa and Alejandra were making chocolate chip cookies with their foster mom, they learned that they would finally be reunited with their mother. Alejandra was so surprised excited to hear the good news that she dropped the cookie batter-covered spoon and began to cheer. The sisters excitedly talked about what they were going to wear when they saw their mother and the toys they were going to take with them.

Today, Rosa and Alejandra are finally reunited with their mother.

Children’s names have been changed to protect their privacy.