My name is Karam, and I'm 14 years old. I live with my mom and little sister, and right now our family is facing something terrifying. My dad was taken by ICE, and we don't know what will happen to him. We're trying to stay strong, but we can't do this alone.

My father was a physics professor in Iraq. He was granted a government scholarship to earn his PhD in the United States as part of an official agreement between him and the Iraqi government. But during his first year in the US, everything changed. The government stopped supporting him, refused to send the funds they had promised, and kept all the money he had left behind. They abandoned him completely.

Because of that, my dad had to sell all his property and inheritance in Iraq just to pay for our living expenses and his school fees. Even after selling everything, it still wasn't enough to cover years of studying and supporting a family in the US, so he had to borrow money to keep us going.

After earning his PhD, my dad hired a lawyer to help him apply for a new legal status so he could work in a job that matched his experience and repay the people who had helped him. But the lawyer he trusted was dishonest. Instead of helping him, the lawyer left my dad without legal status for years, something my father didn't even realize until it was too late. Because of that, he couldn't get a job in his field, and eventually ICE arrested him.

My dad has more than 25 years of experience and four degrees: a PhD, two master's degrees in physics, and another master's degree. His CV shows decades of scientific work, and many scientists know him. But even with all that, he couldn't find stable work in his field. He worked wherever he could: construction, seafood restaurants, Uber driving, and short-term jobs from friends. He often refused payment from friends because he didn't want to take money from people who cared about him.

Now he is in an ICE detention center, and the lawyer who caused all this damage has abandoned him. We don't have the money to hire a new lawyer. We need help to pay for legal support to get my dad released, to cover our basic living expenses, and to pay the people who lent my father money over the years.

My family has been afraid to leave our apartment for more than 2 months because we fear being arrested by ICE too. Some friends have tried to help us, but they can't support us forever. I'm writing this on behalf of my family because we are out of options, and we're hoping someone can reach out a helping hand.