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Anna Immigration Bond + Support

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UPDATE 8/3/17 : Anna will get bonded out!

We are so deeply grateful for the beyond generous support. Donations have ranged from $1-$1,500 and EVERY BIT HAS MADE THE DIFFERENCE!

Anna's bond hearing was late this afternoon, August 3rd. We just received word that the judge decided "she was not much of a flight risk" and gave her a $15,000 bond. We raised over $15,000 through your courageous love in action and will pay that bond tomorrow!

A special thank you to Consuelo and Our Lady of Lourdes parish who took up a huge collection after three masses on July 30th. What a compassionate community.

After paying bond, all funds will go to ongoing support of Anna and her family as they pursue their asylum case and establish their lives in Chicago. Thank you deeply for your support of Anna and her family, and helping get her free to join her family, pursue her asylum case, and be part of our community.

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Please help release Anna* from Eloy Detention Center in Arizona and reunite her with her family, seeking asylum together in Chicago. 

We need to raise these funds by August 1!
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Por favor, apoyen la liberación de Anna de detención en el centro Eloy en Arizona para que se pueda reunir con su familia, y asi  buscar asilo todos juntos en Chicago.
**Español abajo

*  Note: names have been changed for safety reasons.

In December of 2016, Wellington Ave. UCC welcomed through sponsorship two asylum seeking families in their request for asylum in the United States.  One of the families includes Maria, her sister Anna, and Maria’s daughter Elena. They are requesting protection from the U.S. government because they have been targeted by a powerful, criminal organization in Guatemala after they stood up to the organization by reporting their activities to the police.

Although Maria, Anna, and Elena all requested asylum together at the Mexico-U.S. border in December, immigration officers cruelly separated the family.  Maria and Elena were allowed to come into the United States and now reside in Chicago with the support of Wellington Ave. UCC and their pro bono attorneys.  However, Anna – who is only 20 years old –has been held in immigration custody in the Eloy Detention Center and has not seen her sister or niece since December. This separation has caused Maria and Anna much stress and anxiety and also makes it more difficult for them to obtain asylum in the United States because their cases will proceed separately.

An immigration judge is expected to allow Anna to be released on bond soon, but the bond amount is likely to be too high for Anna and Maria to pay. The bond could be between $10,000-$20,000 and must be paid in full. If she is able to pay her bond, Anna will be able to reunite with Maria and Elena here in Chicago and they will be able to seek asylum together as a family.  

 *NOTE - if bond is not set, or once it is paid,your donation will be used to support the families’ expenses, which are over $1200 per month for living costs including food, transportation, medical, dental, education, and support of Anna in detention.

If you prefer to make a tax-exempt donation, you can send a check to Wellington Ave UCC with "IJTF Bond Fund" in the memo line. Send to: Wellington Ave UCC, 615 W Wellington, Chicago IL 60657

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*Para seguridad, hemos cambiado los nombres.

En diciembre 2016, la iglesia Wellington Ave. United Church of Christ dio la bienvenida a dos familias buscando asilo en los EEUU. Una familia incluye Maria, su hermana Anna, y su hija Elena. Las dos familias están pidiendo protección del gobierno de los EEUU porque fueron intimidados por parte de una organización criminal y poderosa de Guatemala después de resistir la organización y reportar sus actividades a la policía.

Maria, Anna y Elena pidieron asilo juntas en la frontera México-EEUU en diciembre. Desafortunadamente, los oficiales de inmigración las separaron en un actocruel. Inmigración le dio permiso a Maria y Elena de llegar a los EEUU. Ellas ya viven en Chicago, apoyadas por Wellington Ave. UCC y abogados pro bono. Sin embargo, Anna - que tiene solo 20 años - sigue detenida en Eloy Detention Center. Ella no ha podido ver a su hermana ni a su sobrina desde diciembre. Esto ha puesto a Maria y a Elena muy estresadas y ansiosas y se les ha hecho mucho más difícil lograr asilo en los EEUU, porque sus casos no pueden ser procesados juntos.

 Anticipamos que muy pronto un juez de inmigración liberara a Anna con una fianza. Pero anticipamos que la fianza será demasiada cara para Anna y Maria. La fianza podría ser dentro de $10,000-$20,000 y se tiene que pagar en su total. Alpagar, Anna podra reunirse con Maria y Elena aquí en Chicago y podrán pedir asilo juntas como una familia.

*NOTA - Si no se pone una fianza o una vez que se pague la fianza, los fondos restantes seran utilizados para los gastos diarios de la familia que son más de $1200 cada mes por comida, transporte, atencion medica y dental, educacion y para apoyar a Anna adentro del centro de detencion.

Si prefieren hacer una donacion exento de impuestos, se pueden mandar un cheque a Wellington Ave UCC con "IJTF Bond Fund" en la linea "memo". Manden a: Wellington Ave UCC, 615 W Wellington, Chicago IL 60657
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Donations 

  • Kim Warman
    • $15 
    • 7 yrs
  • Brenda Friedman
    • $85 (Offline)
    • 7 yrs
  • Allen Lindrup
    • $22 (Offline)
    • 7 yrs
  • Joanne Festle
    • $100 (Offline)
    • 7 yrs
  • Charlene Guss
    • $20 (Offline)
    • 7 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Katie Blanchard
Organizer
Chicago, IL
Kathy Engert
Beneficiary

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