Help Carlos Tavares Reunite with His Family

Hello dear family and friends,

So with a very sad and unbelievably heavy heart I am setting up this Go-Fund-Me page instead of eating Sunday dinner with my family. I know many of you already know what is going on via my recent social media posts, but if in fact you have not heard about what has happened to our family, allow me to fill you in with the short version.

Early Friday (6/20/25) morning around 6:15am Carlos was heading to work and he probably made it about 50-60 feet from our apartment when he was pulled over by three ICE cruisers (no local police were involved in the stop) so that tells you this was not a routine traffic stop but rather a premeditated stop. One of the agents approached Carlos' car and asked him to confirm his identity. Carlos' was not read rights or even offered a translator. He was just snatched off the street and taken to their Malta processing center. I quickly followed his location tracker on his phone and was only minutes behind him but when I arrived they would not allow me to see him, talk to him or even hug him, as they were treating him as if he were a criminal. By 5pm on Friday evening they had shipped my baby off to the detention center without so much as a call from any type of official to let me know anything and even still as I type this I have no idea what is going on with him or if he is even ok. I am heartbroken. I am traumatized. His entire family and I are in agony not knowing where Carlos is or what is happening. Onve Carlos is processed in the Detention Center he will be issued an "A number" and then I will be able to set him up an account to where he will have access to be able to use the phone. The phone calls are very expensive as they contract with private communication companies like Telmate where calls within NYS cost 7 cents per minute and out of state and international calls are 15 cents per minute. They charge additional fees just to add money to the account such as $5 for every $25 added. The rates are subject to change whenever the company decides but it adds up very quickly... and I know this all to well because unfortunately I have already been through this experience with my youngest daughters father who ultimately ended up getting deported back to the Dominican Republic in October of 2020. My children and I have already suffered enough. I am not creating this page looking for a handout. Quite a few of you have been reaching out to me privately to let me know that y'all wanted to be able to help monetarily. I have a very hard time asking for help so this has not come easy but I have people who are depending on me and being as I am a full time student at HVCC right now I have been full dependent upon Carlos' income. I do not have any clue as to when Carlos will be released. His lawyer told me to prepare for at least six weeks as the process is very lengthy to file for a termination of the case and then if that's denied, she will have to file for a bond. He told me that he does have a court date for July 11th but that is all I know at this point. I'm not asking for anything my friends except continued prayers but if the few of you that really feel compelled to want to help out monetarily still feel like that's your way of contributing, then here you go, but truly from the bottom of my heart, please do not feel pressure to give ANYTHING. I love my community. We are mighty together... you all keep showing up for me and I've never felt more supported in my life! I love you all and may the favor of the Lord rest upon each and every single one of you!

Love, love, love, Venus Santiago