Help Manny and his Son Through Deportation
Donation protected
- MAISON AND MANNY-
Many of you may know Manny and his son, Maison, from the award-winning feature length documentary, Tre Maison Dasan , that has touched hearts around the world, and premiered on PBS / Independent Lens in April, 2019.
If you haven't seen or heard of the film, you can get to know Manny and Maison in the clip below:
(Photo caption: A clip featuring Manny and Maison from the award-winning documentary, Tre Maison Dasan)
Now, Manny and Maison need your help.
Manny is an incredibly smart and kind man, who has spent 13 years in prison for the tragic consequences of a bar fight that broke out in Providence, RI in 2003. Despite his incarceration, he has been a devoted and incredible father to his 14 year old son, Maison - in large part thanks to the visiting program at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. Manny and Maison have talked on the phone multiple times a day, and have seen each other in person at least 3 times a week since Maison was a year old. The anticipation and excitement of his dad's pending release has been growing over the past few years as he reached the end of his sentence - there is so much to catch up on, so much to do together, and as Maison himself says, "I can't wait to see you not wearing a khaki shirt!"
Manny is due to be released this month (June), but the overwhelming excitement of having his dad finally home, to start their new life together, has been shattered in the realization that his dad won't be coming home after all - he'll be even further away, and in fact after all this time, Maison won't be able to see him at all...
Upon his release, Manny is going to be immediately transferred to ICE Custody at the Bristol County House of Correction and from there, deported to the United Kingdom.
- MANNY'S STORY -
-- Early Life --
Manny Teixeira grew up as a very adventurous kid, who loved hiking and spending time in the wilderness, camping and swimming. He loved riding dirt bikes and skateboarding and loved adventure. He immigrated to the United States from the UK with his mother, father, and two siblings when he was 12 years old. He always made friends quickly, and was well known around the neighborhood and loved by all. As a teenager, he became interested in machines and engines, which grew into a career as a mechanic in his early adult life.
(Photo caption: Manny and his little sister, Maria.)
Manny's father was naturalized, and became a US Citizen, when Manny was 17. Under current law (H.R. 2883: The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 ) his father's naturalization would automatically make Manny a citizen as well. But the law in 1994 stated that a child would only become a citizen if both married parents were naturalized, and favored a mother's naturalization if the parents were divorced. The new law was not retroactive, and therefore Manny is not legally a US citizen. At the time of his arrest, he was a permanent resident Green Card holder, but due to his incarceration was not able to renew his status. For the past 10 years, Manny has been an undocumented person in a US prison.
(Photo caption: Manny and his Dad and brother. Manny's father became a US Citizen when Manny was 17 years old.)
-- Incarceration --
Manny has always been a righteous individual, and was always quick to jump in to protect vulnerable people - most of all he was an incredibly loyal friend, perhaps to a fault. This protective nature came to a deeply unfortunate head in the summer of 2003 when he was out with friends at a bar. At some point in the night, one man (we'll call him James - not his real name) became very drunk and was forced out of the club after getting into a fight with one of Manny's friends about derogatory comments made about a woman. James waited in the street for the clubs to let out, and then started fighting again with Manny's friend. The fight escalated quickly and grew into a brawl with many people fighting out into the street. Manny himself was jumping in and out of various fights, one of which was with James and several others. The fighting continued, but eventually Manny and his friends headed home. When they arrived, they received a call from another friend who was still at the club. James was dead.
Several people were implicated in this death, and there's no denying it was a tragedy for the victim's family, but what unfolded in the court room was what Manny's family calls "a circus". Differing eye-witness accounts placed Manny at the scene of the crime and described Manny as kicking the deceased man in the head. Manny does remember kicking the deceased man in the face, but then remembers the man got up and continued fighting. The coroner declared the fatal blow to be blunt-force trauma to the back of the head. Manny says he did not kick the man in the back of the head.
Manny and three other men ended up convicted and receiving prison time. Co-defendant #1 spent 28 months in prison. Co-defendant #2 spent 8 years in prison. Co-defendant #3 was arrested at the scene and spent 14 years in prison. Manny was convicted of 1st degree, pre-meditated murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
(Photo caption: Manny and baby Maison shortly before Manny was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison)
-- Fatherhood --
The case took two years to end in a conviction. Because of the circumstances surrounding the case and the deceased, Manny's lawyer was confident at the time that Manny would likely be charged with manslaughter at worst, and spend maybe up to 2 years in prison. During the two years while Manny was out on bail, he and his girlfriend decided to start a family, to keep them connected during his sentence. Maison was born on December 21st, 2004. Manny was sentenced to life in prison 14 months after Maison's birth.
This news shook their family to its core. Maison's mom - also not a citizen at the time - started to realize she would be raising her child on her own, with Manny's family, far away from home and from her own family. When Maison was 3 years old, he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Maison's mom, overwhelmed and frightened, moved to California, leaving Maison with his grandmother who has raised him over the past 10 years.
(Video caption: Maison asks his dad what happened the night of the fight. Though he has never denied his involvement in the fight that broke out, Manny has never been certain that he was responsible for the tragic outcome)
Manny's life sentence was appealed, and eventually dropped to 2nd degree murder with a sentence of 20 years, 15 to serve in prison. Manny has served over a little over 13 of those years, and with good-time applied, was granted parole last summer.
-- Deportation --
Because of his conviction, Manny is not eligible for Bond, and therefore must spend the months leading up to deportation in an ICE Holding Facility. Deportations usually take months to complete, and Manny's family has no idea how long he will spend in ICE detention. The visiting rooms at Bristol County House of Corrections are also starkly different than the child-friendly visiting rules at RIDOC. If Maison visits his dad at the new detention center, they will be separated by glass, and will not have any physical contact.
Then, Manny will be put on a flight back to the UK, with no opportunity to say goodbye to his family or his son, dropped off, and never able to return to the United States again.
(Photo caption: Manny and Maison coloring at the Saturday visiting hours at the RIDOC Men's Medium Security Prison)
- WHY MANNY NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT -
If Manny was going to be released back to his community in Rhode Island, he would have many support systems to help him adjust to life after spending the past 13+ years in prison. This re-entry process is difficult, even when you have support. With a felony record, it's very hard to find housing, but Manny could move into the upstairs apartment at his mom's house and use her car to take his son to school. It's almost impossible to find work with a felony record, but Manny has friends here in Rhode Island who could employ him while he gets through parole. It's emotionally difficult to adjust to all the changes that you've missed, making up for lost time, learning how to use technology, feeling both guilt for being gone, and navigating the intensity of freedom, but Manny would have his family to support him and his son to spend his time caring for.
Deported to the UK, Manny will arrive with nothing - no where to live, nowhere to stay, no money, no job, no transportation, no support, no family. Far away from home in a country he is ultimately unfamiliar with. Far away from his son, who will be starting high school and missing him more than he ever has before.
To make matters even more complicated, Manny also suffers from Type 1 Autoimmune Diabetes. If he ever is unable to acquire his insulin, he could rapidly end up in a coma, or dead. Manny with not have health insurance in England. Luckily, their health care system is much more affordable than in the US, but this is still an expense of around $532 per year.
We are hosting this fundraiser to ensure that Manny has enough to start his new life with. He will need a place to stay and food to eat while he looks for a job. He will need transportation to get to job interviews and support service appointments. We would like to be able to support Manny for 5 months, to give him time to find an apartment, a job, and to find stability.
Also included in this fundraiser is a flight and travel expenses for Maison to go visit his dad - to finally be able to get to know each other outside of the prison walls. To be able to eat ice cream, to sit in the sun (or the rain! England can be rainy...), to go to the movies and play football (soccer) - to catch up on missed time, and enjoy being father and son.
- WHAT YOUR DONATION COULD ACCOMPLISH -
$5
An Oyster Card for public transportation
$15
A day of groceries for Manny
$25
A trip to the movies for Maison and Manny when Maison visits
$50
A weekly unlimited Oyster Card pass for public transportation
$100
A nice shirt, pants and shoes for job interviews
$150
Two weeks worth of groceries for Manny
$250
6 months supply of Insulin to manage Manny's Type 1 Diabetes, and protect his life.
$500
A roundtrip flight for Maison to be able to visit his dad
$1000
Rent, Utilities and Internet service for one month
$1500
Security deposit and first month's rent on an apartment
$3000
A used car so Manny can get around
- THE BIGGER PICTURE -
Family separations don't just happen at the border. They happen every single day in our own cities, towns and neighborhoods.
The United States has 5% of the world's population, and 25% of the world's prisoners. We incarcerate more people than every other developed nation combined. An estimated 40% of incarcerated people are parents. This means that over 5 million children in our country have been separated from their parents with little support, little acknowledgment, and a whole lot of stigma. These statistics are starkly disparate demographically as well, disproportionately affecting children of color and low-income families.
As of this year, there are 52,398 people in ICE detention, awaiting trial and/or deportation. Parents are deported from their undocumented or citizen children on a regular basis - separating families and causing rifts in families that are sometimes irreparable. We've all heard at least one of these stories by now. This is your chance to help one family get through it.
Please, consider a donation of any amount to help support Manny and his son through his deportation. THANK YOU, we are tremendously grateful for your compassion and generosity.
Many of you may know Manny and his son, Maison, from the award-winning feature length documentary, Tre Maison Dasan , that has touched hearts around the world, and premiered on PBS / Independent Lens in April, 2019.
If you haven't seen or heard of the film, you can get to know Manny and Maison in the clip below:
(Photo caption: A clip featuring Manny and Maison from the award-winning documentary, Tre Maison Dasan)
Now, Manny and Maison need your help.
Manny is an incredibly smart and kind man, who has spent 13 years in prison for the tragic consequences of a bar fight that broke out in Providence, RI in 2003. Despite his incarceration, he has been a devoted and incredible father to his 14 year old son, Maison - in large part thanks to the visiting program at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. Manny and Maison have talked on the phone multiple times a day, and have seen each other in person at least 3 times a week since Maison was a year old. The anticipation and excitement of his dad's pending release has been growing over the past few years as he reached the end of his sentence - there is so much to catch up on, so much to do together, and as Maison himself says, "I can't wait to see you not wearing a khaki shirt!"
Manny is due to be released this month (June), but the overwhelming excitement of having his dad finally home, to start their new life together, has been shattered in the realization that his dad won't be coming home after all - he'll be even further away, and in fact after all this time, Maison won't be able to see him at all...
Upon his release, Manny is going to be immediately transferred to ICE Custody at the Bristol County House of Correction and from there, deported to the United Kingdom.
- MANNY'S STORY -
-- Early Life --
Manny Teixeira grew up as a very adventurous kid, who loved hiking and spending time in the wilderness, camping and swimming. He loved riding dirt bikes and skateboarding and loved adventure. He immigrated to the United States from the UK with his mother, father, and two siblings when he was 12 years old. He always made friends quickly, and was well known around the neighborhood and loved by all. As a teenager, he became interested in machines and engines, which grew into a career as a mechanic in his early adult life.
(Photo caption: Manny and his little sister, Maria.)Manny's father was naturalized, and became a US Citizen, when Manny was 17. Under current law (H.R. 2883: The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 ) his father's naturalization would automatically make Manny a citizen as well. But the law in 1994 stated that a child would only become a citizen if both married parents were naturalized, and favored a mother's naturalization if the parents were divorced. The new law was not retroactive, and therefore Manny is not legally a US citizen. At the time of his arrest, he was a permanent resident Green Card holder, but due to his incarceration was not able to renew his status. For the past 10 years, Manny has been an undocumented person in a US prison.
(Photo caption: Manny and his Dad and brother. Manny's father became a US Citizen when Manny was 17 years old.)-- Incarceration --
Manny has always been a righteous individual, and was always quick to jump in to protect vulnerable people - most of all he was an incredibly loyal friend, perhaps to a fault. This protective nature came to a deeply unfortunate head in the summer of 2003 when he was out with friends at a bar. At some point in the night, one man (we'll call him James - not his real name) became very drunk and was forced out of the club after getting into a fight with one of Manny's friends about derogatory comments made about a woman. James waited in the street for the clubs to let out, and then started fighting again with Manny's friend. The fight escalated quickly and grew into a brawl with many people fighting out into the street. Manny himself was jumping in and out of various fights, one of which was with James and several others. The fighting continued, but eventually Manny and his friends headed home. When they arrived, they received a call from another friend who was still at the club. James was dead.
Several people were implicated in this death, and there's no denying it was a tragedy for the victim's family, but what unfolded in the court room was what Manny's family calls "a circus". Differing eye-witness accounts placed Manny at the scene of the crime and described Manny as kicking the deceased man in the head. Manny does remember kicking the deceased man in the face, but then remembers the man got up and continued fighting. The coroner declared the fatal blow to be blunt-force trauma to the back of the head. Manny says he did not kick the man in the back of the head.
Manny and three other men ended up convicted and receiving prison time. Co-defendant #1 spent 28 months in prison. Co-defendant #2 spent 8 years in prison. Co-defendant #3 was arrested at the scene and spent 14 years in prison. Manny was convicted of 1st degree, pre-meditated murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
(Photo caption: Manny and baby Maison shortly before Manny was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison)-- Fatherhood --
The case took two years to end in a conviction. Because of the circumstances surrounding the case and the deceased, Manny's lawyer was confident at the time that Manny would likely be charged with manslaughter at worst, and spend maybe up to 2 years in prison. During the two years while Manny was out on bail, he and his girlfriend decided to start a family, to keep them connected during his sentence. Maison was born on December 21st, 2004. Manny was sentenced to life in prison 14 months after Maison's birth.
This news shook their family to its core. Maison's mom - also not a citizen at the time - started to realize she would be raising her child on her own, with Manny's family, far away from home and from her own family. When Maison was 3 years old, he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Maison's mom, overwhelmed and frightened, moved to California, leaving Maison with his grandmother who has raised him over the past 10 years.
(Video caption: Maison asks his dad what happened the night of the fight. Though he has never denied his involvement in the fight that broke out, Manny has never been certain that he was responsible for the tragic outcome)
Manny's life sentence was appealed, and eventually dropped to 2nd degree murder with a sentence of 20 years, 15 to serve in prison. Manny has served over a little over 13 of those years, and with good-time applied, was granted parole last summer.
-- Deportation --
Because of his conviction, Manny is not eligible for Bond, and therefore must spend the months leading up to deportation in an ICE Holding Facility. Deportations usually take months to complete, and Manny's family has no idea how long he will spend in ICE detention. The visiting rooms at Bristol County House of Corrections are also starkly different than the child-friendly visiting rules at RIDOC. If Maison visits his dad at the new detention center, they will be separated by glass, and will not have any physical contact.
Then, Manny will be put on a flight back to the UK, with no opportunity to say goodbye to his family or his son, dropped off, and never able to return to the United States again.
(Photo caption: Manny and Maison coloring at the Saturday visiting hours at the RIDOC Men's Medium Security Prison)- WHY MANNY NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT -
If Manny was going to be released back to his community in Rhode Island, he would have many support systems to help him adjust to life after spending the past 13+ years in prison. This re-entry process is difficult, even when you have support. With a felony record, it's very hard to find housing, but Manny could move into the upstairs apartment at his mom's house and use her car to take his son to school. It's almost impossible to find work with a felony record, but Manny has friends here in Rhode Island who could employ him while he gets through parole. It's emotionally difficult to adjust to all the changes that you've missed, making up for lost time, learning how to use technology, feeling both guilt for being gone, and navigating the intensity of freedom, but Manny would have his family to support him and his son to spend his time caring for.
Deported to the UK, Manny will arrive with nothing - no where to live, nowhere to stay, no money, no job, no transportation, no support, no family. Far away from home in a country he is ultimately unfamiliar with. Far away from his son, who will be starting high school and missing him more than he ever has before.
To make matters even more complicated, Manny also suffers from Type 1 Autoimmune Diabetes. If he ever is unable to acquire his insulin, he could rapidly end up in a coma, or dead. Manny with not have health insurance in England. Luckily, their health care system is much more affordable than in the US, but this is still an expense of around $532 per year.
We are hosting this fundraiser to ensure that Manny has enough to start his new life with. He will need a place to stay and food to eat while he looks for a job. He will need transportation to get to job interviews and support service appointments. We would like to be able to support Manny for 5 months, to give him time to find an apartment, a job, and to find stability.
Also included in this fundraiser is a flight and travel expenses for Maison to go visit his dad - to finally be able to get to know each other outside of the prison walls. To be able to eat ice cream, to sit in the sun (or the rain! England can be rainy...), to go to the movies and play football (soccer) - to catch up on missed time, and enjoy being father and son.
- WHAT YOUR DONATION COULD ACCOMPLISH -
$5
An Oyster Card for public transportation
$15
A day of groceries for Manny
$25
A trip to the movies for Maison and Manny when Maison visits
$50
A weekly unlimited Oyster Card pass for public transportation
$100
A nice shirt, pants and shoes for job interviews
$150
Two weeks worth of groceries for Manny
$250
6 months supply of Insulin to manage Manny's Type 1 Diabetes, and protect his life.
$500
A roundtrip flight for Maison to be able to visit his dad
$1000
Rent, Utilities and Internet service for one month
$1500
Security deposit and first month's rent on an apartment
$3000
A used car so Manny can get around
- THE BIGGER PICTURE -
Family separations don't just happen at the border. They happen every single day in our own cities, towns and neighborhoods.
The United States has 5% of the world's population, and 25% of the world's prisoners. We incarcerate more people than every other developed nation combined. An estimated 40% of incarcerated people are parents. This means that over 5 million children in our country have been separated from their parents with little support, little acknowledgment, and a whole lot of stigma. These statistics are starkly disparate demographically as well, disproportionately affecting children of color and low-income families.
As of this year, there are 52,398 people in ICE detention, awaiting trial and/or deportation. Parents are deported from their undocumented or citizen children on a regular basis - separating families and causing rifts in families that are sometimes irreparable. We've all heard at least one of these stories by now. This is your chance to help one family get through it.
Please, consider a donation of any amount to help support Manny and his son through his deportation. THANK YOU, we are tremendously grateful for your compassion and generosity.
Organizer and beneficiary
Denali Tiller
Organizer
Pawtucket, RI
Shirley Teixeira
Beneficiary
