Every Bit Helps: Support Tia M

A 30 year resident of the U.S., and 15 year poultry plant worker in Southwest Virginia, my aunt M. now finds herself abruptly without work due to this Administration’s mass de-legalization of immigrants with Temporary Status Protection (TPS) and cancellation work authorization for Hondurans when a judge on Aug 20, 2025 decided to side with Trump Admin to End TPS for Honduras. This came unexpectedly after a lower court had ordered TPS and work authorizations to be validated for my aunt at least until Nov 18, 2025. The rush with which the Trump Administration sought to end work authorization with individuals like my aunt has left her and thousands of others scrambling to find ways to make sense of what happened and how they will have to change their lives.

For 15 years, my aunt worked to support herself, her family, and her elderly mother by working the night shift at a poultry plant - leaving home at 2pm to come back any time between 2am and 5am. She did this same routine until Sept 8, 2025.

Without a job and without any severance benefits after working at the company for 15 years, she is struggling- mentally, emotionally, and financially- to figure out next steps. She has loved living in Southwest Virginia and the natural beauty it offers. She has built her community there from loving coworkers to caring church sisters and brothers. Her cozy apartment and delightful kitchen welcomes everyone. But now, she must arrangements as to whether to stay in an area she has called home for almost two decades, figure out how to call another place - or country- home again while juggling the responsibilities she had as a breadwinner for her family.

The abruptness of the September cancellation of her work authorization really threw her plans off course and now she’s just trying to have enough time to be able to make another plan.

Please consider donating any amount that is significant to you to my aunt as she prepares to sell all her belongings and make a life changing move. The funds will allow her to have a 3 month emergency fund to cover rent and utilities and legal expenses while she figures out next steps.