Donation protected
As you have probably read, ICE has been detaining immigrants when they show up for their required immigration hearings. Along with others, Tom and I have been doing observations at the Immigration Court in Santa Ana, trying to help immigrants connect with their loved ones if they are taken away.
One detainee we have come to know is Johan Urbano, a young Venezualan who was detained when he appeared at court and sent to the Adelanto Detention Center here in California. While he was there, we were in communication with him as well as his father and mother, who were obviously very happy that he was in contact with somebody in the US.
Johan was unable to afford an immigration attorney, but a pro bono attorney thought he had an excellent asylum case given the history of his father’s leadership in a non-profit that was at odds with some in the government. As a result of that situation, Johan’s two brothers were killed. So, his asylum case was strong.
We confirmed these details through articles printed by Amnesty International at the time. Here are a couple of links:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2008/12/human-rights-defender-venezuela-jos-luis-urbano-20081209/
Before all the paperwork to challenge his detention and move forward toward asylum could be processed, Johan was deported. We don’t know all the details (partly a function of our Spanish skills), but Johan believes this deportation before the process had played out was illegal, and it sounds like it certainly was. With no warning, he was handcuffed and kept in miserable conditions (no food, no bed, no toilets, no showers) before being sent back to Venezuela.
No one knew about the deportation until he arrived in Venezuela and contacted his mother, who contacted us. His family was, of course, sad that his plans for a new life in the US had come to this end, but they were more than happy to see him when he arrived--as you can see in the above photo of the celebration.
Johan had originally planned to try to go to another country, but his mother and 97 year-old grandmother have apparently convinced him to stay in Venezuela—at least for now.
Johan had been supporting his family while in the US. To continue doing so in Venezuela he would like to start a taxi business using a motorcycle, which he can buy for $1100 US.
We have put together this GoFundMe in hopes that we can help him get that motorcycle. We know that you probably are receiving many calls for donations right now; and we totally understand if, for any reason, a donation doesn’t work for you. But if you can, even a small one would go toward helping a very nice young man try to start a new life after the devastating experience he has lived through here in the US.
Please feel free to donate anonymously if you like.
Please DO NOT SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
Thanks so much for reading this far!
Warm regards to all of you,
Tom and Susan
Organizer
Susan and
Organizer
Huntington Beach, CA