Sergio Correa is a 32-year-old husband and father of six children. He arrived in the United States as a teenager and immersed himself in the sport of boxing, moving up the ranks as an amateur fighter. But one dream eluded him for decades: his desire to become an American citizen.

In 2019, a fire destroyed the house where Sergio was living with his wife and children. They lost everything. He found a new place to live but times were tough so he turned to the best paying job opportunity, working construction out of town. Sergio knew the risk of encountering U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints along the way but he took a chance so he could provide for his family.

Sergio’s greatest fear was realized and he was taken into Border Patrol custody. He spent months at an immigration detention center during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic. The family was evicted from their home and Sergio’s wife and their children were forced to live in the family’s car in the parking lot of the center.

It was in the lobby of the detention center that Sergio’s wife encountered DMRS Attorney, Jesus Guereca. He agreed to take the case. Jesus and his legal assistant, Maria Najera, worked tirelessly on Sergio’s behalf.

On August 11, 2021 Sergio, his wife, and his children were present when a judge granted the rare decision to cancel Sergio’s deportation order, eliminating the risk of him being deported in the future, and granting Sergio status as a Lawful Permanent Resident.

Today, Sergio’s work permit is up-to-date and he is no longer at risk of deportation. He is working hard to support his family as they eagerly await the arrival of baby number 7!

Your contributions of prayer, service, and giving continue to make this vital work possible.

The Catholic Foundation manages the DMRS Endowment Fund, a permanent endowed fund established by the organization to continue to provide a comprehensive range of services to the immigrant community. We’re on a mission to grow their permanent endowed fund to $1 million in 2022. Your gifts to this fund will have a direct impact on the services DMRS provides.

For more information on contributing, please contact Major Gifts Officer Sofía Larkin directly at (915) 433-2003 or slarkin@catholicfoundationelpaso.org.