A Devoted Mother Faces Deportation — Help Us Keep Lissa Home

Lissa Mel Hatanaka is my wife. She is a mother, an artist, a caregiver, and one of the most generous, selfless human beings I’ve ever known.

She is the sole provider for her elderly mother and her daughter, Loren — supporting them tirelessly from Los Angeles.

But now, under our current administration, she is facing deportation from the United States — a punishment that is not only cruel and undeserved, but one that threatens to destroy the life she’s worked so hard to build for her family and her community.

Despite following all legal processes in her immigration journey, Lissa is now being denied the right to see an immigration judge. Our legal team is actively fighting for her release — pursuing every option available to protect her human rights and bring her home.

Due to recent Supreme Court decisions and actions by the administration, legal protections that were once guaranteed are now being stripped away. This case is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. The legal process is taking longer and costing more than anyone could’ve anticipated — simply because the rules are changing in real time.

We’re raising funds to help cover the increasing legal expenses and ensure Lissa receives the justice and protection she deserves.

Your support — whether through donation or sharing — means the world. Every dollar goes directly toward protecting a mother, a daughter, and a woman who’s made a meaningful impact on everyone she meets.

Let’s bring her home.