This is Fon.  He has just turned 30. 

As my friends (you),  know, I am fighting Trump by fighting his refugee policies -which, had they existed when my parents were refugees, would have doomed them. I am now connected to the Cameroonian community. The dictatorship there has been shooting, torturing, and arresting anyone  they suspect  of being against the dictatorship; it's been open season on young men, especially, since 2016.   The human rights violations are so bad that Trump is withholding military aid. The dictatorship has burned over 400 villages and created a nation of internal and external refugees. 

 Fon escaped. If you knew how terrifying the journey is to get from Cameroon to the U.S., especially through the Panamanian jungle, you would have a sense of how certain these refugees are that they will die if they stay in Cameroon.

He survived the journey and presented for asylum at our border. We put asylees in prison, and that is where he has remained for 16 months and 19 days.  He has committed no crime.  

His family, who is smart but unsophisticated in legal matters, hired a lawyer, not knowing he'd been disciplined for incompetence. He lost the case, and then the appeal. The family then  paid another lawyer the money to reopen the case, and the lawyer lied to the family, claiming for six months, while Fon languished in prison, that he had done so. I confirmed recently with the Court that the lawyer did nothing.  

Fon's  case is complicated by the previous lawyers' failures. But helping him is righteous. I could not find a pro bono organization to help him,  because all of the pro bono organizations are overwhelmed, especially during the Covid crisis. But through my immigration travels, I have been lucky enough to 
meet some talented, experienced, lawyers.  And one of them, a truly talented, caring, lawyer with expertise in appeals  - has agreed to take the case. In addition to the merits part of the case, I am trying to fund a separate case to get Fon released; this may take a petition in federal court. 

So that's it. Let me know if you have questions. 
Thank you.

Ruth