<div><strong>Jose Tarcisio Medina</strong>
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<div>A Good Man Trying to Do Things the Right Way
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<div><strong>Jose's Story</strong>
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<div>After witnessing local communist guerrilla groups terrorize his community and attempt to recruit boys as young as 13 to join their gang, Jose Medina boldly and bravely spoke publicly against their violence. In response, the groups threatened his life and assured his murder. To protect himself and his family, Jose left Colombia to seek asylum in America, following all legal protocol and processes instituted at the time.
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<div>Arriving at a lawful USA border crossing station in April 2023, Jose surrendered and was given parole while he seeks asylum. Since he arrived in the U.S., Jose has complied with every court order and every U.S. law. He has never been arrested and works full-time. He is not paid under the table or off the books and pays his taxes.
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<div>Jose has appeared virtually in immigration court a number of times and has never missed a court date. On May 27, 2025, the immigration court ordered Jose to appear personally for a status hearing. Jose took a bus from Atlanta to Chicago to attend that hearing.
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<div>Without legal justification, Jose was detained by ICE and sent to a detention center in Indiana, some 200 miles from Chicago, while his immigration hearing continued.
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<div>Within the first two days of arriving in America, Jose pursued work and has been an exceptional employee of <a href="https://www.bardencompany.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Barden Company</a> , a small business in Atlanta, GA. Without hesitation, the team at The Barden Company refers to Jose as “Maestro” because of his endless knowledge and problem-solving skills he passes along. They miss him terribly and pray for his quick removal from detention.
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<div>Jose is a beloved husband and father. He and his wife, Amparo, met 25 years ago and share two sons, a daughter, and a granddaughter. One of his sons is a priest at a church in Colombia. His daughter is currently in university studying to become a dentist. Jose is proud of his family. Unfortunately, his family does not have the funds to pay for his legal fees.
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<div><strong>What is needed</strong>
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<div>We are asking for donations to help with Jose’s legal fees related to his release from detention and asylum hearings. His release from detention is separate from his asylum hearings.
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<div><strong>Legal costs: </strong>
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<div>Representation for bond motion and hearing: $5,000.
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<div>Representation for habeas corpus to be filed in Federal Court, should bond motion be denied: $7,500.
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<div>This habeas corpus petition is only made if the bond is denied.
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<div>Representation for asylum hearings: approximately $10,000.
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<div>This is separate from the bond motion and habeas corpus, which are the processes to have Jose removed from detention.
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<div><strong>How funds are to be used</strong>
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<div>All funds will be directed toward Jose’s legal bills to ensure he has fair and experienced representation in his court proceedings. The funds will be managed by Jose’s employer and friend, Addison Barden, who spearheaded efforts to support Jose and has already personally donated $5,000+. With support from friends &amp; family in Chicago and the Southeast, Addison has hired Kriezelman, Burton &amp; Associates, LLC law firm, to represent Jose and attempt to release him from the ICE detention center. We will continue to provide frequent updates about Jose below.
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<div><strong>Current Updates:</strong>
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<div>5/27/2025:
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<div>Jose attended an immigration hearing in Chicago, IL, and was detained by ICE after the hearing. It is unclear why Jose was detained since he has followed all court requests to date.
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<div>5/28/2025:
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<div>Jose was taken to a detention facility, the Clay County Justice Center, in Brazil, IN. Communicating directly with Jose is extremely difficult, and little has been learned other than his location at this time. Written messages were sent to Jose through the detention center, but we’re not certain these messages were delivered to Jose.
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<div>5/29/2025:
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<div>Jose remains at the Clay County Justice Center with no outside communication. An attorney was hired to have Jose removed from detention. Immigration attorneys from Kriezelman, Burton &amp; Associates, LLC. will be representing Jose next week in a Master Hearing (Thursday morning), and a bond hearing that will hopefully be scheduled for next week.
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<div>5/31/2025:
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<div>Jose remains in detention. The bond motion was filed. Jose’s attorneys learned that he received parole when he crossed and surrendered at the US border in 2023. While this is no promise that a bond will be granted, it shows the court that Jose did and has been cooperating with immigration requirements.
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<div>6/2/2025:
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<div>Jose remains detained, but was able to call his attorney’s office today. Unfortunately, his attorney was out of the office at the time of the call. The associate informed Jose that he has a direct call with his attorney tomorrow afternoon (2:00 pm EST).
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<div>6/3/2025:
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<div>It’s Jose’s birthday! Jose remains detained and had a call with his attorneys at 1:00 CST. The attorney reported he was in good spirits and enjoyed receiving notes from his co-workers and family. The specifics of Jose’s case and the strategy to have him released from detention were relayed to him.
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<div>6/6/2025: 
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<div>Jose's bond hearing was today at 2:00 and he was granted bond by the immigration judge. The DHS attorney pushed for denial and expedited removal. Jose's attorney did a fantastic job in her arguments to the judge and bond was granted. 
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<div>After the bond hearing, we began gathering and submitting paperwork for Jose to be released from detention. Unfortunately, not all of the paperwork was able to be filed before the offices closed. Jose is aware that bond was awarded and that we are working hard for his release. 
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<div>6/7/2025 to 6/8/2025:
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<div>Unfortunately, all offices are closed over the weekend.
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<div>6/9/2025:
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<div>Addison drove to Brazil, Indiana, to pick up Jose. The bond payment was made and all necessary paperwork was submitted to ICE for review and approval. The ICE CeBOND website experienced technical issues that delayed the bond approval process beyond business hours, so Jose remains in detention. We are optimistic that everything will be approved and processed tomorrow for his release. 
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<div>6/10/2025:
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<div>Jose was released from detention around 1:30 pm! Jose and Addison drove back to Atlanta after his release. Jose was thrilled to be out of detention and speak with his family. While driving back to Atlanta, Jose spoke with many friends and family who were all relieved that he was out of detention and safe. We are all very grateful for your generous support through this process. Now, our focus will shift to working with the fantastic attorneys on Jose's asylum case. 
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<div>6/11/2025:
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<div>Jose was eager to return to work. All of his friends at work were happy to have "Maestro" back. 
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<div>6/12/2025:
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<div>Jose had a quick appointment at the ICE Field Office in Atlanta. There, he received instruction on where he would be "checking in" while his asylum case is heard. Jose needed to be released from detention, which your generous support allowed, but our work is not done. There is still a long road ahead with Jose's asylum case. 
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<div>6/13/2025:
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<div>Jose attended a second meeting in Atlanta with ICE. Fortunately, the location of this meeting is closer to where he lives in Atlanta. 
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<div>6/16/2025:
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<div>Jose had a meeting with his attorneys to review next steps on his asylum case. We are all extremely grateful for the attorney's hard work and success with his Bond Hearing. Thank you!
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<div><strong>Quotes from Letters of Support:</strong>
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<div><em>"Please know that as a US citizen, I do not write this type of reference without conviction. Jose is respectful of others, respectful of our country, and makes positive contributions. He is a good man by all measures."</em>
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<div><em>"Jose is someone I would trust without hesitation, and it is clear to me that he wants nothing more than to live peacefully, contribute positively, and build a better life for himself and those around him."</em>
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<div><em>"He spoke up for what he believed was wrong to a guerrilla group in Colombia. They had recruited young boys between the ages of 12-17 years old, and when Mr. Medina spoke up, they threatened him and forced him to flee the country or else they would kill him. The guerrillas in Colombia are ruthless and awful human beings who do not forget things easily. With that being said, I fear for Jose’s life if he were to return to Colombia."</em>
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