I am trying to raise $8K to pay the retainer for an immigration attorney to help a family in desperate need. They need an attorney to help them with their asylum claim and pending deportation proceedings.

Four years ago, a politically motivated criminal tried to take the lives of Jose and Maria and their children in their home country. An example of the horrific texts from the criminals hired to threaten Maria and their family are shown in the picture. The attempt was caught on camera (in picture). The gun jammed and they were able to flee, quickly packing up and leaving their lives and cherished extended family members behind. They brought their four children to the U.S. border, where they were allowed in to seek asylum.

Since then, they have done everything correctly - filing forms, paying their monthly supervision fees, checking in with ICE, and not getting so much as a parking ticket. Jose coaches youth soccer and has started his own construction company. Maria cleans houses. Both pay their taxes regularly despite navigating the difficulties of our complicated system. Their four children all do well in school and learned to speak English fluently. Their oldest son wants to learn cybersecurity, while their daughter wants to grow up to be a marine biologist.

Last month, everything changed. Jose went in for his routine annual appointment with ICE, where he was shocked by officers placing ankle bracelets on all of the young to middle-aged males there. The following week, he and his family received notices that ICE was starting deportation hearings against them without articulating a clear charge.

This family has already survived one murder attempt. Now they are trying to stay together in the country they still fervently believe in. Their children are terrified and showing significant physical symptoms of the stress, from bedwetting to anxiety attacks landing one in the hospital as seen in the third picture.

Now, they desperately need a good lawyer to help them. Unfortunately, nonprofits, pro bono places, and legal clinics are overwhelmed. Private practices need a significant amount up front because asylum cases are both hard and expensive. They have an experienced and savvy attorney who has accepted their case, but need to raise money for the fees.

You cannot help everyone, but you can help this family. Please do so if you are able.