First Presbyterian Church of White Bear Lake, MN, is walking alongside a refugee who was recently detained by ICE. Personal information about the individual and their family is being withheld for their continued safety.

This man and his family members were vetted and invited into the U.S. by the government two years ago. They followed all of the required legal processes. They have applied for permanent residency, but the review process has been paused for all people from their home country. He was apprehended on January 9 and moved to a detention center in Texas without his family’s knowledge.

As of today, he has been released from detention in Texas with no resources to get home. The family is still awaiting his return. He is the primary wage earner for the family, and based on the recommendation of the refugee resettlement agency, the family is currently staying home from work and school due to the fear of ICE apprehending and detaining them.

The fund is primarily set up to:

Cover his legal expenses

Cover the missed wages for both him and working family members (10 days and counting)

If there is funding beyond these immediate needs, the money will be used to support members of a Spanish-speaking church who utilize the same space as First Presbyterian. This group has temporarily stopped meeting, and many members of their community are staying home out of fear. First Presbyterian is delivering groceries weekly to their homes. Any additional funds at the end of this campaign will be donated to Arrive Ministries (helping resettle refugees in Minnesota since 1988) and/or the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota.

Donations through this site are not tax-deductible. Anyone wishing for their donation to be tax-exempt can give directly to First Presbyterian Church WBL via the church website (https://www.fpcwbl.org/online-giving). Call or email the church to learn more.

We are a small church community with a big heart, and we believe that every person is made in the image of God. We especially take seriously our call to care for the foreigner amongst us. There are no exceptions.