Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano is a 4th-grade student in Columbia Heights who has been part of our school community since kindergarten. Earlier this month, during the first week back from winter break, Elizabeth and her mother, Rosa, were taken by ICE while on their way to school.

Elizabeth was able to call her father and told him ICE said they would drop her off at school. He rushed to the elementary school, but Elizabeth never arrived. By the end of the day, he learned that Elizabeth and Rosa had already been transferred to an ICE detention center in Texas.

This sudden and traumatic separation has devastated Elizabeth’s family and shaken her school community. Elizabeth’s desk sits empty. Her classmates ask where she is. Her teachers and friends miss her deeply. She should be in school — not in detention.

Family and friends are doing everything possible to bring Elizabeth and Rosa home, but the legal process is urgent, complicated, and costly. Funds raised will go directly toward immigration legal fees, transportation for reunification, and basic necessities while they are detained. Food access in detention is extremely limited and inadequate, making outside support critical.

Every donation, no matter the amount, helps move Elizabeth and her mother closer to coming home. If you are unable to give, please consider sharing this fundraiser — it truly makes a difference.

Please help reunite Elizabeth with her father, her classmates, and the community that loves her.