In brief
Maria Pires, adopted from a Brazilian orphanage, believed she was finally escaping her traumatic past. However, her life in the U.S. turned into a nightmare filled with abuse and violence. Immigration complications ultimately led to her deportation back to Brazil, where she struggles to rebuild her life. Her story underscores the failures of the adoption and immigration systems and the challenges faced by those caught in their web.
It sounded like freedom, like a world of possibility beyond the orphanage walls.
Maria Pires was getting adopted. At 11 years old, she hoped to escape the chaos of the Sao Paulo orphanage, where she suffered abuse. She longed for a new life in America.
A single man, Floyd Sykes III, adopted her, bringing her to Baltimore in 1989. However, her nightmare continued as she faced severe abuse at his hands rather than the safety she so desperately sought.
After years of torment, Pires found herself in prison, battling with mental health issues fueled by her traumatic past. It was during her time behind bars that she discovered she wasn't an American citizen, as Sykes had neglected to complete any immigration paperwork.
Pires was released in 2017, gradually finding stability and working hard to improve her life. Yet, under the Trump administration’s restrictive immigration policies, she was apprehended and deported back to Brazil, a country she barely remembered.
Now, in a women's shelter in Brazil, Pires struggles to build a new life. She reflects on her journey and her hopes for the future, battling against the injustice of her circumstances.
“I’ve survived all these years. I can survive again,” Pires said, expressing her resilience despite the challenges she faces.
