He wanted to be a police officer.
Recreational drugs may seem harmless, but the cartels that supply them harm anyone who gets in their way. To commit their crimes with impunity, the drug cartels even threaten the police, preventing them from doing their jobs. Romualdo had a dream of becoming a police officer one day. He wanted to help restore order in his home country of Guatemala, and after passing the police exam, was looking forward to living his dream. But when the local cartel heard he was going to become a police officer they initiated a threatening campaign of fear tactics. Eventually, fearing for his life, Romualdo fled to the US and sought asylum in an immigration proceeding. He had only three weeks to prove he was being persecuted for wanting to be a police officer. The lawyer representing Romualdo knew they would have to produce proof that his client had actually taken the police exam, although he also knew that proof would be difficult to obtain. He reached out to Justice in Motion who contacted a Defender in Guatemala to get the necessary evidence. The Defender got the critical evidence to the lawyer before the deadline. Upon hearing the good news, Romualdo broke down in tears.