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This month, we are so pleased to celebrate our client Edimilson Mendes Ferreira, who just won his case to remain in the United States with his family after years of waiting in Immigration Court.

Edimilson has lived in the United States for nearly two decades. In that time, he has raised two daughters and become a grandfather to three US citizen grandchildren. He has started his own successful housecleaning business, which he has now run for over a decade, servicing clients throughout the greater Washington region. Edimilson has also become deeply involved with his church and with the Brazilian American community, volunteering his time to serve as an usher, as a Sunday School teacher, and as a deacon, and always looking for ways to be of help to others. The life that Edimilson built in the United States is nothing short of exemplary, and yet also something we recognize in so many immigrant parents, who sacrifice so much of their lives to build better futures for both their children and their communities.

Without proper status in the United States, the life that Edimilson built for his family was always in jeopardy. On 2014, he was nearly removed – not for any wrongdoing, but for the simple act of driving a car with a Brazilian flag on the back.  After Benach Collopy had the opportunity to represent him and his family, we learned so much about the harms his daughters and grandchildren would face if he could not stay here, and how irreparably damaged their lives would be. And when Edimilson finally had his day in Court to present these facts, the Immigration Judge agreed.

We could not be happier for Edimilson and his family, and we are especially proud of both him and his eldest daughter, Isabella, a DACA recipient who worked tirelessly to support her dad, as so many children of immigrants do. The family worked closely with Benach Collopy partner Dree Collopy and with attorney David Secor, who both ensured they gathered all the necessary evidence and represented Edimilson before the Court. Congratulations to Edimilson, his family, and the Benach Collopy attorneys and staff that earned this win.