After losing his right hand in an Iraqi torture cell and enduring rocket attacks on his Baghdad home Nazar Joodi thought life in America would be easy, but out of money and running out of options, he has discovered a new kind of trouble in suburban Maryland.

Joodi’s American story began in 2004, when he and six other Iraqi torture victims were brought to the United States with the help of Virginia-based journalist Don North to receive state-of-the-art prosthetic hands at a renowned Houston hospital. The men received VIP treatment and were flown to Washington to meet with President Bush and senior Cabinet members.