November 1, 2014
Patricia met Hector while living in a small village in Guatemala. Hector took Patricia out, brought her gifts, and told her that he loved her, and when Hector asked Patricia to come to the United States with him, she agreed. Hector had promised to get Patricia a job as a waitress, but shortly after they arrived in Texas, he confiscated her documents and told her she had to engage in commercial sex. For several years, Hector forced Patricia to travel across the country to work in residential brothels and out of motels. If Patricia refused, Hector would beat her. He convinced her that if she tried to escape, no one would help her. Patricia was able to escape one day with the help of a woman she met who saw that she was injured and offered to help her get to a safe place away from Hector.
Patricia was able to rebuild her life and start a family, however she was still experiencing trauma as a result of her trafficking situation. A friend gave her the number for the National Human Trafficking Hotline and the hotline connected Patricia with an anti-trafficking organization that set her up with counseling and legal services. With their help, Patricia was able to obtain a T-Visa and work towards overcoming the trauma she had experienced.
