Maria Pires was not just another child seeking a new family; she was a girl with a turbulent past, running from an abusive orphanage in Brazil. Her reality turned dark when she was adopted by Floyd Sykes III, who instead of offering her the loving home she dreamed of, subjected her to years of abuse.
In a suburban Baltimore neighborhood, young Maria thought she had escaped her troubled life. What awaited her instead was a nightmare that would unfold behind closed doors. Under the guise of fatherhood, Sykes perpetrated acts of violence and sexual abuse that left lasting scars on her psyche.
At 14, Maria found herself in foster care after Sykes was arrested for his crimes. Although freed from his grasp, the process of healing was complex. She battled through adolescence with anger issues, leading to violent outbursts and an eventual prison sentence for aggravated assault.
While incarcerated, Pires learned about her status as an undocumented immigrant, a revelation that changed the trajectory of her life. Despite her struggles, she eventually earned her release and sought to build a new existence by transforming her pain into purpose.
However, her freedom was short-lived. Under the Trump administration, strict immigration policies targeted individuals with criminal records, leading to her detention when she arrived for a routine immigration check. Hours later, she became another name on a deportation flight back to Brazil, a country she hardly remembered.
Now residing in a shelter in Brazil, Pires is focused on relearning Portuguese and searching for a sense of belonging. Through the adversity she faces, she holds on to hope that she can return to America and fulfill her once-unreachable dreams.
“I've survived all these years,” she reflects. “I can survive again.” Her journey advocates for understanding the systemic trauma faced by those caught in the intersections of adoption, abuse, and immigration policy.
