Reported by Patrick McGee, Star-Telegram, Dallas Texas.

Yolanda Mendez’s tortured life of repeated rapes and beatings was pushed a little further into her past Wednesday when an immigration judge granted her legal resident status on humanitarian grounds.

The 19- year -old Mexican woman, who now lives in Arlington , Texas was brought to US illegally by the man-a relative by marriage- who would later be convicted of physically and sexually abusing her.  Juan Garcia Aguilar, 46 is serving a prison sentence of life plus 20 years for aggravated sexual assualt and sexual assault of a child.

The Star-Telegram usually does not identify victims of sexual abuse, but Mendez’s lawyer, Michelle Saenz-Rodrigues, said Mendez spoke to the media on Wednesday because she wants to be a source of strength to other victims of abuse.

She is thankful for the courage of three people- Agiullar’s son, the woman who stood up to the abuser and an Arlington woman who took her in as her own.  

  Mendez’s suffering began at an early age.  Her mother died when she was 3. Her father gave her to her mother’s cousin and had no further contact with her.  Aguillar is the husband of Mendez’s mother cousin.

Aguillar started abusing Mendez in Mexico when she was 9, and he brought her with him when he immigrated to the US illegally in 2001 to work in the fields in North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas.  Mendez said she sometimes worked with him and was repeatedly abused by him.

Mendez speaking in Spanish, ” It was horrible as you can imagine, this happened every night, he entered my room and violated me.”

At the hearing on Wednesday in Dallas Immigration Court, Saundra Arrington, Assistant Chief counsel for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told Judge D. Anothony Rogers that Aguilar raped Mendez shortly after she gave birth to their daughter, Adilene at Parkland Hospital  in Dallas.

“We do believe that  as a matter of humanitarian discretion this young woman should be granted any relief she seeks before the court.” 

Rogers granted her permanent resident status under the provision of the law that extends protection to unaccompanied illegal immigrants who are minors.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Aguillar in Sept. 24 2004, and held him until the district attorney was ready to press charges. He pleaded guilty to the sexual assault charges in April 2005.