Our community is under attack, and this family is among the latest to be impacted by the deportation machine.

About a week ago, Pedro and his son Joel were followed and stopped by ICE while returning home from a plumbing job. Both were detained. Pedro was deported earlier this week, just before he was scheduled to meet with his lawyer. Since his detention, he has been moved through multiple locations in the US and Mexico and is now making his way to Chihuahua, the state where he was born.

Pedro is living with diabetes and cancer, which has made this whole ordeal even more frightening. We're all deeply concerned about his health and want to make sure he can get settled and establish medical care as soon as possible.

What makes this even more heartbreaking is that this family has already experienced years of separation. Pedro's wife has been living in Mexico since 2012. Some of their children haven't been able to travel to Mexico to see their mom, and now they are facing the reality of being separated from their dad, too. They don't know when they'll be able to see either of their parents again.

Meanwhile, Joel is still being held at the ICE detention center in Aurora, Colorado. We're hopeful that he has a chance to fight his deportation and return home, but the family needs approximately $4,000 just to get the legal process started.

On top of everything they're going through emotionally, the family is now trying to figure out how to manage the financial impact of having Pedro and Joel suddenly taken from their home. They are hoping to cover at least another month of rent so they have time to figure out what to do with their belongings. If Joel is released, there is still hope that he can return home. If not, the family will have to figure out moving, storage, and other housing arrangements.

How the $8,000 Will Help

We're hoping to raise $8,000 to help the family with their most immediate needs:

Legal representation: Approximately $4,000 to get Joel's immigration case started and fight his deportation.

Medical care in Mexico: Helping Pedro find doctors and access the treatment and medications he needs for his diabetes and cancer.

Housing and transition expenses: Helping cover rent, moving costs, and storage while the family figures out what comes next.

Personal necessities: Shipping Pedro's belongings to Mexico and helping him get settled.

It's hard to put into words what this family is going through right now. In a matter of days, their lives have been turned upside down. They're worried about Pedro's health, about what will happen to Joel, and about how they're going to manage everything financially while trying to process what has happened.

I know there are so many families in our community going through similar situations right now, and it's heartbreaking. We can't undo what has happened, but we can show up for one another and make sure families aren't left to carry all of this alone.

Our goal is to raise $8,000 to help Pedro get the medical care he needs, give Joel the opportunity to fight his deportation, and help their family get through these immediate challenges.

If you're able to contribute, any amount would mean so much. And if donating isn't possible right now, sharing this fundraiser is also a huge help.

Thank you to everyone who continues to show up for our families and our community. ❤️