My name is Alfredo Garcia. I am a kind, humble, and hardworking man from Venezuela who has survived more than anyone ever should..
I hold a master’s degree in engineering and came to the United States seeking safety. I applied for asylum on time, followed every rule, and began rebuilding my life through hard work. I found a job in construction and quickly excelled, earning multiple certifications and consistently being praised for my dedication.
But everything changed one day when I fell face-down from a six-foot ladder, suffering serious injuries that required surgery and ongoing treatment. While I was still healing, the building where I lived, a home shared by other Venezuelan migrants, was raided by ICE. I was taken into detention, terrified and still in pain, and placed in deportation proceedings.
In March 2025, I, along with other detained Venezuelan immigrants, was forcibly transferred in the middle of the night from New York to Texas. A few days later, without warning, I was shackled, transported to an airstrip, and surrounded by federal agents. I was recorded as I was lined up to be placed on planes for removal under the Alien Enemies Act to CECOT in El Salvador, a prison known internationally for extreme conditions and torture.
Just moments before takeoff, myself and a few others — who were named plaintiffs in an ACLU lawsuit challenging these actions — were pulled off the plane. Many others were not as fortunate, and I watched as the planes carrying the other Venezuelans took off to CECOT in El Salvador.
The emotional toll on me was devastating. I lived through the fear of believing I was about to be sent to a place where my companions were later tortured, and I had almost no way to communicate with the outside world. During the brief legal calls my attorney managed to arrange, I spoke with my mother. I will never forget my mother’s voice breaking as we cried and prayed together, begging for God’s mercy and strength.
Unfortunately, my ordeal did not end there.
Despite having no criminal record, no gang involvement, and not a shred of evidence against me, the government continued insisting that I was tied to an international gang — a claim completely unsupported by facts. My attorneys filed multiple lawsuits fighting for my freedom as I remained detained for more than eight long, painful months.
Finally, a little over a month ago, I won my freedom through a habeas corpus grant. I walked out of detention legally and rightfully — but with nothing.
After nearly a year behind bars, after trauma, surgery, interrupted medical care, and the looming threat of being sent to a torture prison in El Salvador, I now need help simply to get back on my feet. I need support for housing, food, medical follow-up, transportation, clothing, and the basic stability that every human being deserves.
If you can contribute anything, no matter how small, you will be giving me the chance to heal, to rebuild, and to move forward with dignity.
Thank you for reading my story. Thank you for caring. And thank you for standing with someone who has shown extraordinary courage in the face of unthinkable hardship and cruelty.
You can read more about my story here:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/federal-judge-new-york-blocking-future-deportations-alien/story?id=120634624
Thank you!
Organizer
