My name is Samson Williams, and I am a second-year MPP student at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. On January 29, 2026, my life and my family’s stability were suddenly upended when my wife was arrested by ICE in St. Peter, Minnesota, while on her way to provide hospice care at a nursing facility.

That morning, I rushed to the facility with documentation of her Temporary Green Card and work authorization. Despite this, the experience was deeply traumatic. The stress and fear led to her being hospitalized, and shortly thereafter, she left Minnesota to stay with family in Richmond, Virginia. She is now preparing to return to Africa, leaving me at home as the sole caregiver for our two daughters, ages 16 months and 12 years.

This moment has reopened wounds from my own past. I survived the 14-year civil war in Liberia, where my family experienced violence, displacement, and profound loss. Our home in Monrovia was destroyed, several siblings were lost, and my mother was permanently injured. Like many Liberians, we fled as refugees before eventually rebuilding our lives. I never imagined that years later, in the United States, I would again face the fear of family separation and uncertainty about whether my loved ones would be safe or able to return home.

We had just moved into a new home on January 5, 2026, and my wife’s income was essential to our family’s stability. With her absence, I am now carrying the full weight of rent, utilities, vehicle payments, childcare, medical expenses, and legal costs on a student's income. My university has encouraged me to seek support so that I can remain enrolled this semester and continue providing for my children during this crisis.

This fundraiser will help bridge the financial gap created by my wife’s absence, including legal and living expenses, while we work toward the hope of her return within the next six months. Our first wedding anniversary is approaching in March, and we do not know whether we will be able to mark that milestone together as a family.

I am humbly asking for your support during this deeply difficult time. Any contribution, no matter the size, will help provide stability for our children and allow us to keep moving forward amid uncertainty. More than anything, your generosity reminds us that we are not alone.

If you are unable to donate, sharing this page or keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers means more than you know. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing with us during one of the hardest seasons of our lives.