"The perception about immigrants being criminals is false, false, false." These powerful words from Kofi, a Ghanaian asylum seeker, cut through the noise of political rhetoric to reveal the human reality behind migration statistics.
Kofi never intended to come to America. Facing persecution in Ghana, he initially sought refuge in Nicaragua with his wife and two young sons, only to discover that crime, kidnapping, and language barriers made it impossible to build a safe life there. Learning about America's human rights protections from fellow migrants, Kofi made the heart-wrenching decision to journey northward through Central America.
What follows is a breathtaking account of courage and desperation. Kofi describes carrying his children and all their belongings through jungles and across rivers, including a terrifying crossing on a narrow fallen tree where his wife wept with fear. "I was even thinking that if anything at all, if there should be any fall at all, I should rather fall, die for them to also save their life," he recalls, the emotion still raw after two years.
Upon reaching American soil, Kofi encountered another daunting challenge: navigating an overwhelmed asylum system without resources or connections. His court dates repeatedly postponed, his next hearing isn't until 2026. During the mandatory 150-day waiting period before work authorization eligibility, asylum seekers receive no government support. "How do we survive?" Kofi asks.
The answer came in the form of the Lighthouse, which Kofi calls "my God on this earth." The Lighthouse provided food, clothing, education for his children, and even funded his wife's training as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Now working legally and watching his children thrive academically, Kofi dreams of giving back to the country that eventually offered them protection.
Subscribe to hear more powerful stories from asylum seekers and learn how The Lighthouse has helped those caught between persecution and protection.
Please consider supporting The Lighthouse, a haven to those navigating our broken immigration system. We strive to ensure that those seeking safety never have to navigate their darkest moments alone.
For more information, please visit lighthousenj.org.
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