Maria Pires believed she was escaping a turbulent life in Brazil when she was adopted at the age of 11. However, her dreams of a new beginning were crushed by years of abuse from her adoptive father, Floyd Sykes III.
Pires arrived in Baltimore in 1989, a little girl brimming with hope, only to face a reality marred by violence and torment. After enduring horrific abuse, Sykes was arrested, and Maria was placed in foster care. Sadly, this did not mark the end of her struggles.
As she navigated her tumultuous teenage years, Pires became involved in violent encounters and even faced incarceration. It was in prison that she discovered she had never been granted U.S. citizenship—a mistake that would later lead to her deportation.
Despite turning her life around after her release in 2017, and her determination to follow the rules of immigration, she was apprehended during a routine check-in during the Trump administration's intensified crackdown on immigrants.
Pires' deportation back to Brazil in June 2023 left her with a profound sense of loss and uncertainty. Now residing in a shelter in Brazil, she grapples with her identity, yearning to reconnect with her heritage while dreaming of one day returning to the United States. Her resilience and hope continue to shine through as she seeks to rebuild her life.
