Mahjoub Law is a Houston immigration law firm handling all immigration matters — from family petitions and humanitarian relief to removal defense and citizenship. Explore each practice area below.
Federal immigration law provides specific forms of protection for individuals who have experienced persecution, trafficking, abuse, or serious crimes — regardless of their current immigration status. These humanitarian pathways exist precisely because Congress recognized that certain people face circumstances that cannot be addressed through traditional visa categories. Humanitarian relief may be available to survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other qualifying crimes, as well as individuals fleeing persecution in their home countries.
Each form of humanitarian relief has distinct eligibility requirements, evidentiary standards, filing deadlines, and procedural timelines. Many humanitarian cases require gathering extensive documentation, obtaining certifications from law enforcement or government agencies, and presenting compelling testimony. Because the stakes are often life-altering — and because errors or omissions can result in denial or even removal proceedings — experienced legal representation is essential for navigating these complex and sensitive cases.
The T visa provides nonimmigrant status to victims of severe forms of human trafficking — including forced labor, sexual exploitation, debt bondage, and domestic servitude — who are present in the United States as a direct result of that trafficking. Applicants must generally demonstrate cooperation with reasonable requests from law enforcement, though exceptions exist for victims who are minors or who face trauma-based barriers to reporting. Approved T visa holders receive work authorization, access to federal victim services, and a pathway to lawful permanent residence after three years.
The U visa provides nonimmigrant status to noncitizen victims of qualifying criminal activity — including domestic violence, sexual assault, felonious assault, kidnapping, trafficking, and other serious offenses — who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and have cooperated with law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of that crime. A law enforcement certification (Form I-918B) is required and must be obtained from a qualifying agency. U visa holders receive work authorization and, after three years, may be eligible to apply for lawful permanent residence.
Asylum provides protection to individuals who have suffered persecution — or have a well-founded fear of future persecution — on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Applications must generally be filed within one year of the applicant's last arrival in the United States, and late filings require demonstrating changed or extraordinary circumstances. A grant of asylum allows the applicant to remain in the United States, obtain work authorization, and apply for lawful permanent residence after one year.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) allows certain noncitizen survivors of battery or extreme cruelty by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, parent, or child to self-petition for immigration relief — entirely independently and without the abuser's knowledge or participation. Eligibility requires demonstrating the qualifying relationship, evidence of the abuse, good moral character, and that the applicant resided with the abuser at some point. A VAWA approval allows the petitioner to pursue lawful permanent residence through the same preference categories as a family-based petition.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) provides a pathway to lawful permanent residence for unmarried noncitizen children under 21 who have been declared dependent on a juvenile court, or who have been legally committed to the custody of a state agency or individual, due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment by one or both parents. The process begins in state court with a predicate order and then proceeds to USCIS for the SIJ petition and ultimately a green card application. Because SIJS applicants age out at 21, timely action is critical once a child becomes potentially eligible.
Military Parole in Place (PIP) is a discretionary form of relief that allows undocumented immediate family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel, veterans, and reservists to remain in the United States and, in many cases, apply for adjustment of status without departing the country first. Because PIP is a discretionary grant rather than a statutory right, each case is evaluated individually based on national security, law enforcement, and humanitarian factors. An approved grant of PIP provides a period of authorized stay and, for eligible family members, opens the door to lawful permanent residence.
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