Hi everyone, I never imagined I would be writing something like this, but I’m asking for help for someone who means everything to his family. Chai is my dad. He came to the U.S. when he was just 5 years old, and this is the only home he has ever known.

During one of his yearly check-ins, he was unexpectedly detained at the Tacoma detention center. He is now being transferred to El Paso, and we’ve been told he will be there for a few days before being deported to Laos.

Everything has happened so quickly, and it still doesn’t feel real. What makes this even more painful is that he is being sent to a country he doesn’t truly know. He doesn’t know how to read or write in the language, and he will be starting over completely alone. The thought of him trying to survive, navigate daily life, and rebuild from nothing in a place that feels unfamiliar is heartbreaking.

He has spent his entire life here, building relationships, working hard, and doing everything he could to support his family. Seeing everything he has built be taken away so suddenly is incredibly hard to process.

We are raising funds to help him once he arrives in Laos so he can have a safe place to stay, food, and basic necessities while he rebuilds his life from scratch. All funds raised will be going directly to him.

Our family is doing everything we can to stay strong through this, but we can’t do it alone. If you’re able to donate or even just share this, it would mean more than I can express. Your support will help him have a chance at starting over and remind him that he’s not alone, even from so far away.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any kindness you can give.

— Sabrina