Help the Sorianos Secure Their Future

I first met this extraordinary family during my time as an ESL teacher. Luis and Sarita Soriano, along with their three children, Brayan, Ana, and Kevin, had spent their entire lives in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. Their unwavering faith in God has helped them endure the following harrowing and unimaginable experiences.

In their home country, Luis served as a civil servant in a government office while Sarita worked as a Spanish Grammar teacher. In October 2020, their lives were turned upside down by threats from maras, organized criminal gangs that are prevalent in Honduras. They were warned that if they did not leave their home, their children would be killed, and their dismembered parts would be found in a garbage bag. Those who had received similar threats and tried to hide were found and killed. Since gangs infiltrated every part of the small country, including the police, hiding was futile. Luis and Sarita approached the authorities to file a complaint and ask for protection, but the police were also corrupt and did nothing.

The National Human Rights Commission of Honduras considered alternatives for the family but advised them that, due to these lethal threats and for their safety, they should escape, thus becoming refugees for the first time.

In November 2020, the Sorianos left their home, leaving behind their family, friends, schools, and jobs. Since they had no suitcases, they had to fill a garbage bag with their important documents, medicines, and some clothes, and leave their hometown secretly under the cover of night, without being able to say goodbye or hug their loved ones. This was during the pandemic, and from that day on, they began an exhaustive search for where and how to move with the children.

Without visas, passports, or relatives abroad and without knowing English, some people helped them obtain the necessary documents to undertake their journey to the United States. Facing isolation, uncertainty, and fear, the family experienced many firsts: their first flight, adapting from a tropical climate to a freezing one that required getting winter clothes, experiencing new foods, customs, and festivities, enrolling in unknown schools, finding accommodation, and learning a new language.

Through a series of international contacts and divine interventions, Luis was able to obtain an A1 diplomatic visa and work at the Embassy in Massachusetts. To find the right way to live permanently in the United States, they began a Change of Status process.

However, in November 2023, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service informed Luis that his application was rejected because the lawyer had done the paperwork incorrectly, resulting in the case being denied. Since then, they have again applied for asylum, but approval can take several years.

Since they were not allowed to work, their church and various friends have been supporting them, giving them a house to live in and helping with basic needs. However, even with this help, they barely cover their monthly expenses.

Luis and Sarita want to work to support their family but are not allowed to do so until their asylum application is approved.

They need approximately $6,000 for the remainder of their legal process, attorney fees, work permits, and more. All funds raised will go directly into Luis’s bank account.

Because of the impact of this change in life and post-trauma stress, many things have been difficult, including serious health conditions for three of the family members. Despite all these economic and health circumstances, Luis and Sarita are trying to reach out to their community by volunteering in different organizations and churches, out of love and gratitude to God and all His new loving family.

The family would be so grateful for any help you could provide to enable them to become independent again. Please consider donating even a small amount to help them become self-sufficient again. And please share their request. Thank you for caring.

Blessings, Luis and Sarita Soriano