After years of waiting, one of our clients finally received life-changing news—her permanent residency and citizenship were approved. But just before her oath ceremony, a family emergency took her to her home country in Asia… and suddenly, she couldn’t come back.
Although she was holding all the documents proving her legal status, she was denied boarding to return to the U.S. This is the reality many of our clients face—moments where everything can change without warning.
Our team stepped in immediately. McKenna Newsum Schoenberg, one of JAMLAC’s immigration attorneys, worked across time zones to coordinate with the U.S. Embassy and secure an emergency appointment—“walking” alongside our client every step of the way.
At the U.S. Embassy, the situation became even more heartbreaking. She arrived with her five-year-old son, only to be told he could not enter her appointment with her. With no one to watch him, she faced an impossible choice—miss the appointment or leave her child alone.
With tears in her eyes, she asked an officer for help… and for a few moments that felt like forever, he agreed to watch her son.
When she came back out, she was crying—but this time, with relief.
She and her son had been approved to return home—an outcome that would not have been possible without McKenna. Thank you, McKenna, for showing what true advocacy looks like.
Because of your support, families don’t face these moments alone.
This is Inside Our Work—real moments, real challenges, and the quiet, urgent advocacy happening behind the scenes every day. And it is only possible because of a community that chooses to stand with families in their most vulnerable moments.