Celestin escaped by calling a taxi and meeting up with a doctor who took her to Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital. She also got support from a Little Haiti social service agency and a South Florida immigration advocacy group.

Celestin, who worked briefly at a McDonald's restaurant but is now unemployed, learned she still has a father, brother and sister living in Haiti.

On cross-examination, Maude Paulin's attorney, Richard Dansoh, peppered Celestin with questions about her motives, suggesting her goal was to exploit the system to obtain legal residency.

''Your mind was not fixed on finding a way to stay here legally?'' Dansoh asked. Celestin responded: ``No, it was not.''