This is my father, Jose Luis Hernandez. He is 54 years old and was detained by ICE on June 4th, 2025, on his way to work. He has now been held for over 2 months and 8 days.

He is the sole provider for our family. While most of us attend university or live too far away to help, he has always been the one to care for our home and keep our family going.

Before being detained, he was on track to resolve his citizenship status. He lived the life America asks of its citizens—working hard every day, paying his taxes, following the law, and contributing to his community. He showed up for his family without fail, cared for his neighbors, and gave more than he took. He stayed out of trouble, maintained steady employment, and upheld the values of honesty, responsibility, and service to others. He embraced the very principles—hard work, integrity, and devotion to family—that define what it means to be an American, long before a piece of paper could officially recognize him as one. He is also one of my mother’s main caretakers—she has stage 4 heart failure and cannot do much for herself. Every day, he would help her dress, prepare her meals, bring her medicine on time, keep the house in order, and sit with her so she never felt alone. Despite his own health struggles, my father never stopped caring for her.

He is a cancer survivor, having recently overcome a rare and aggressive form called Burkitt lymphoma. My father is a good man with one of the kindest hearts you’ll ever meet. Even from detention, he calls every single day—no matter how bad his day has been—always with a positive attitude, always trying to make us smile.

We are asking for your help. We are working tirelessly to raise funds for attorneys and his bond, so we can bring him home—so he can rest in his own bed, care for my mother, and continue to be the heart of our family.

Please, if you can, donate and help us bring my father home.