Help Free Danissa!
Donation protected
My name is Victoria Villalba. I am a transgender woman from Hermosillo, Mexico. When I sought asylum in the US due to persecution I faced in Mexico, I was detained at a for-profit immigration detention center for several months, where I faced discrimination and harassment based on my gender identity.
Now that I am out of detention, I am deeply concerned about my friend, Danissa Barrera. Danissa is a transgender woman from Zacatepec, Morelos, Mexico. Growing up in Mexico, Danissa faced constant bullying in school due to her gender presentation.
Danissa has been living here in the United States with her family for nearly a decade. About a month ago, she was stopped by police and arrested for an unpaid traffic ticket. Since Danissa is undocumented, she was referred to ICE and taken to an immigration detention facility.
A survivor of domestic violence, Danissa is now imprisoned in an all-male unit of the Eloy Detention Center. According to a recent Fusion investigation, transgender women like Danissa are ten times more likely to be sexually abused in ICE detention.
Last Monday, an immigration judge set a bond of $8500 for Danissa. As soon as this bond is paid, Danissa will be released from detention. However, she has an immigration court hearing approaching on June 1st. It is crucial that her bond be paid before this court hearing, otherwise she is at a high risk of being deported to Mexico.
Unfortunately, Danissa also suffers from a medical condition that would severely impact her ability to continue leading a normal life if she were deported to Mexico.
Danissa is a hardworking woman, a tireless advocate for her community, as well as a loving sister and daughter. She is generous, kind and responsible. She frequently works to promote sexual health in the LGBTQ community and is generally an excellent human being.
I now turn to you, Danissa's community, to ask for your help to keep her safe from deportation and to escape the horrors of being a transgender woman trapped in a for-profit immigration prison. Every dollar makes a difference! Please donate whatever you can and share this page far and wide so that our community can help Danissa get free as soon as possible.
Any funds raised beyond the amount of Danissa's bond will be applied directly to the bonds of other LGBTQ immigrants and refugees.
Transcend Arizona is a grassroots organization of transgender and queer formerly-detained migrants who work to liberate our community.
Now that I am out of detention, I am deeply concerned about my friend, Danissa Barrera. Danissa is a transgender woman from Zacatepec, Morelos, Mexico. Growing up in Mexico, Danissa faced constant bullying in school due to her gender presentation.
Danissa has been living here in the United States with her family for nearly a decade. About a month ago, she was stopped by police and arrested for an unpaid traffic ticket. Since Danissa is undocumented, she was referred to ICE and taken to an immigration detention facility.
A survivor of domestic violence, Danissa is now imprisoned in an all-male unit of the Eloy Detention Center. According to a recent Fusion investigation, transgender women like Danissa are ten times more likely to be sexually abused in ICE detention.
Last Monday, an immigration judge set a bond of $8500 for Danissa. As soon as this bond is paid, Danissa will be released from detention. However, she has an immigration court hearing approaching on June 1st. It is crucial that her bond be paid before this court hearing, otherwise she is at a high risk of being deported to Mexico.
Unfortunately, Danissa also suffers from a medical condition that would severely impact her ability to continue leading a normal life if she were deported to Mexico.
Danissa is a hardworking woman, a tireless advocate for her community, as well as a loving sister and daughter. She is generous, kind and responsible. She frequently works to promote sexual health in the LGBTQ community and is generally an excellent human being.
I now turn to you, Danissa's community, to ask for your help to keep her safe from deportation and to escape the horrors of being a transgender woman trapped in a for-profit immigration prison. Every dollar makes a difference! Please donate whatever you can and share this page far and wide so that our community can help Danissa get free as soon as possible.
Any funds raised beyond the amount of Danissa's bond will be applied directly to the bonds of other LGBTQ immigrants and refugees.
Transcend Arizona is a grassroots organization of transgender and queer formerly-detained migrants who work to liberate our community.
Organizer and beneficiary
Victoria Villalba
Organizer
Phoenix, AZ
Marcos Andrés Williamson
Beneficiary
