Winston Pro Bono Team Secures Asylum for Antiguan Woman

A New York-based Winston pro bono team has obtained asylum for an Antiguan woman who was the victim of repeated emotional, physical, and sexual abuse on account of her gender since a young age—both by family members and by domestic partners. Severely beaten and emotionally and sexually abused by her domestic partner, who repeatedly threatened to kill her if she left him—and given the prevailing widespread acceptance in Antigua of violence against women, and the Antiguan government’s failure to protect victims of domestic violence—the woman was forced to flee to the United States to escape continued abuse at the hands of her partner.

After timely applying for asylum within one year of arriving in the United States, the Antiguan woman waited over two years for an interview with an asylum officer. With the help of the Winston team, she was able to successfully obtain her work authorization permit, and has been positively contributing to her community in the interim. She was also able to attend adult classes to learn how to read and write, and has been treated by a therapist for post-traumatic stress disorder due to her history of abuse.

In January 2018, the woman’s asylum application was finally approved. The Winston team included Associates Sofia Arguello, Lauren Duxstad, and Matthew Olsen.