Dorchester LUCE Community Defense Fund
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$32,007 raised of
331 donations
Please join the Dorchester LUCE Immigrant Justice Network in supporting immigrant families directly impacted by ICE detention and fear of being detained.
As of June 2026, we are working with 20+ local families in our community who urgently need our solidarity
- An Afghan family of 12+ people (10 children) whose main provider was detained
- Four different individuals who lost everything after detention, including their phones, their employment, their homes, etc.
- High school student whose sole guardian was detained
- Family with someone detained at the courthouse
- Family whose father built his life here and then was deported to Vietnam
- Emmanuel Damas's family
- LGBTQIA+ asylum-seeker
- Haitian TPS community leader
- Two families from the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) community who were detained
- Indonesian family sheltering in place as much as possible
- Guatemalan family with 2 detained at their ICE appointments
- A single mom of 4 who has return to Honduras
- A girlfriend who had 2 children with her boyfriend who was detained
- A disabled Trinidadian family of 3
- An asylum-seeker deported, from his wife and toddler still here
- A woman who gave birth in April 2026
- A sister whose brother was deported
- Haitian family of 4 with a baby born in 2025
When a family member is detained by ICE, the financial consequences can be immediate and catastrophic. The detained person is often a primary breadwinner, so their sudden removal from the workforce immediately cuts off household income. Families are then simultaneously hit with the enormous cost of immigration legal representation, which can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, often forcing them to drain savings, take out loans, or rely on community fundraising. If bond is set, families must pay it in full upfront. Bonds commonly range from $1,500 to $25,000 or more, meaning many turn to borrowing money if BIJAN can't cover it. Ongoing detention can stretch for months, prolonging every one of these costs while the remaining family members (including US citizen children) struggle to cover rent, utilities, food, and childcare on a fractured income. The ripple effects can lead to eviction, loss of a vehicle, inability to pay medical bills, and long-term debt that follows the family even if their loved one is eventually released or wins their case.
These families need immediate support for legal representation, monthly bills, and other essential needs. All donations will go directly to these families.
Every dollar makes a difference. Please donate what you can and share this widely. Your solidarity is critical right now. Thank you.
--LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Dorchester, MA
Organizer
