UPDATE — OCTOBER 5, 2026

My name is Jason Quiroga. Nearly eight months ago, my wife, Niury Guerra-Martin, walked into what was supposed to be a routine annual ICE check-in. She did not come home.

On February 6, 2026, ICE detained Niury. She has now been separated from our family for nearly eight months.

When this began, hundreds of people came together to help us. Through the generosity of more than 500 donors and the incredible support of people who shared our story, we raised approximately $23,000.

Those funds have now been completely exhausted.

When we started this fundraiser, we never imagined Niury would remain detained for nearly eight months. We also never imagined that I would eventually be handling major portions of her legal fight without an attorney.

What began as an emergency has become a prolonged fight to keep our family together.

WHERE THE ORIGINAL DONATIONS WENT

I want to be completely transparent with everyone who donated or is considering helping us now.

The approximately $23,000 originally raised helped our family survive the first months of this crisis. Those funds have now been exhausted by the enormous financial burden created by Niury’s detention and our efforts to fight her case.

The money helped with legal and case-related expenses, travel and transportation connected to her detention, childcare, detention phone calls and commissary expenses, household expenses, and the financial impact of losing Niury’s contribution to our home and family.

We are incredibly grateful for that support. It allowed us to keep fighting much longer than we could have managed alone.

But nobody expected this to last nearly eight months.

I AM NOW FIGHTING HER CASE PRO SE

Our legal situation changed dramatically after serious problems arose with Niury’s previous legal representation.

After I requested her case file, we were suddenly informed that prior counsel would not be handling her appeal.

We were faced with critical legal deadlines and the possibility of important issues going unanswered.

So I stepped in.

I am not an immigration attorney. I am Niury’s husband.

But when my wife’s freedom and our family’s future were on the line, doing nothing was not an option.

Since then, I have spent countless hours researching the law, preparing documents, gathering evidence, reviewing government records, communicating with agencies, and trying to navigate proceedings that would normally be handled by experienced attorneys.

I have taken on work involving Niury’s federal habeas corpus case, her appeal before the Board of Immigration Appeals, her BIA appellate brief, a Motion to Remand, gathering and organizing evidence and government records, and continued efforts to obtain her release.

I have also pursued congressional assistance, written to members of Congress and the White House, contacted government agencies, filed complaints and requests for assistance concerning her detention, including through DRIL, and pursued complaints regarding the legal representation Niury previously received with the appropriate attorney-disciplinary and EOIR authorities.

This has essentially become another full-time job, except it is unpaid.

Every hour I spend researching, preparing filings, gathering evidence, contacting officials, or fighting her case is an hour I cannot spend working to support our household.

OUR FAMILY IS CARRYING THIS WITHOUT NIURY

Niury isn’t only my wife. She is the mother of our young daughter, Niah, and an important part of our entire household.

Before her detention, Niury helped raise our daughter and helped care for my elderly father, a U.S. veteran.

Since February, those responsibilities have largely fallen on me.

I am trying to continue working enough to support our household while raising our daughter, helping care for my father, communicating with Niury in detention, handling the expenses created by her detention, and managing an increasingly complicated legal fight.

Our daughter has now spent nearly eight months without her mother at home.

My elderly father has lost someone who helped care for him.

And I have been trying to be a father, caregiver, provider, husband and advocate at the same time.

The financial consequences have accumulated month after month.

WHY WE ARE ASKING FOR HELP AGAIN

We are renewing this fundraiser because the original donations have been exhausted, but the fight to bring Niury home is not over.

New donations will help our family through the next stage of this fight.

Funds will help with continued legal and case-related expenses, obtaining qualified legal assistance when possible, court and filing-related costs, obtaining records and evidence, travel associated with Niury’s detention and proceedings, detention phone and commissary expenses, childcare, caring for my elderly father, and essential household expenses while Niury remains detained.

Financial assistance also gives me something incredibly important: time.

It allows me to continue working on critical legal matters without constantly having to choose between meeting a legal deadline in my wife’s case and earning enough money to keep our household operating.

WE ARE STILL FIGHTING FOR ANSWERS

Throughout this process, I have continued seeking clear answers concerning the legal basis for Niury’s continued detention.

That issue has become part of our fight in federal court.

I am not asking anyone reading this fundraiser to decide the legal issues in Niury’s case.

I am asking that my wife receive due process, meaningful review, and a fair opportunity to return home to her family while her legal proceedings continue.

After nearly eight months, we are still fighting.

PLEASE HELP US BRING NIURY HOME

When this fundraiser began, more than 500 people showed our family that we were not alone.

Your donations carried us through months we never expected to face.

That original money has now been exhausted, but Niury is still detained.

If you are able to donate again, even a small contribution helps.

If you cannot donate, please share this fundraiser and Niury’s story.

Sharing her story may put it in front of an attorney willing to help, a journalist willing to investigate, an elected official willing to ask questions, an advocate willing to get involved, or simply another person willing to stand beside our family.

I never expected to learn how to prepare appellate filings, navigate federal proceedings, contact government agencies, or fight an immigration case.

I did it because this is my wife.

This is our daughter’s mother.

This is the woman who helped care for my elderly father.

After nearly eight months, I am not giving up on bringing her home.

Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared our story, prayed for us, contacted officials, or supported our family throughout this fight.

Please help us continue fighting.

Please help us bring Niury home.

— Jason Quiroga