OVERVIEW:

Thank you for visiting our fundraiser. We are friends and neighbors of Diego Maestre Vettorazzi, an immigrant from Brazil who was recently picked up and detained by federal authorities for an visa overstay issue. We are raising money for Diego's legal fees and his anticipated bond amount.

Diego is 38 years old and is a dedicated father of two young children currently living in Brazil. This is an incredibly difficult time for him and his family in Brazil.

Diego came to the United States in search of a better life for himself and his family, like so many others. He has no criminal record, either in the U.S. or in Brazil. He is a hardworking, honest man who has always taken care of his responsibilities and worked tirelessly to support his children from afar.

His sudden detention has left his family devastated and without financial support. The emotional and legal burden is overwhelming, and we are doing everything we can to make sure he gets proper legal representation and the opportunity to fight for his freedom.

We are humbly asking for your support—whether through a donation, legal guidance, or simply by sharing this campaign. Every little bit helps and brings us one step closer to bringing Diego back to his family. Diego wants nothing more than to be released and to voluntarily return to his family in Brazil.

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DETAILS ON THE SITUATION:

On the morning of June 2nd, 2025, around 7:30 AM, Diego was on his way to work in Revere, Massachusetts, when he was stopped and detained by ICE officers. He has been in custody ever since.

Diego was immediately detained and brought to the Burlington ICE facility, where he has been without adequate food, showers, basic necessities, medical care, his critically needed medication, and very limited contact to the outside world.

Diego has zero criminal history in the US or in Brazil. He has a 10-year visa, and was early in the process of fulfilling requirements. There was a point where Diego was required to return to Brazil for 6 months and then re-enter the States. Despite Diego's full intention to do this, when the time came, he was unable to afford a plane ticket home and was left in a very difficult and very scary situation.

Diego never intended to overstay his visa; he simply found himself in the position many Americans and immigrants are in, which is not being able to afford his expenses depsite having a full time job. Depsite Diego's very hard work to make a living, pay his bills, support his family in Brazil, and save for his immigration process, he simply did not have the funds, nor did his family.

Diego's health condition is worsening due to his lack of medical care and without his prescription. Due to this, the inhumane conditions, and the fact that no human should be locked for the civil (not criminal) offense of a visa overstay, Deigo's friends are working to get him released prior to his court date later this summer.

Diego would like to willingly return to Brazil and does not want to continue with his visa process. He now simply wants to go home to his family in Brazil. Diego came here for economic opportunities that are not available in Brazil, and hoped to have his own American Dream. The situation is devastating to him.

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THE ASK:

We have secured an attorney for Diego (we are happy to share the name of the attorney upon request).

We are most immediately and urgently in need of $2,000in order to officially retain the attorney so they can begin work on Diego's release.

The attorney needs a $5,000 retainer, and begins legal work as soon as the $2,000 deposit is made. Thankfully, the attorney allows the remainder of the retainer balance to be paid in 2 installments, which helps alleviate some of the financial burden.

We are raising funds to cover the $5,000 attorney fee, plus an extra $2,500 to cover Diego's anticipated bond amount. We are hopeful he will will have a bond of no more than 2-2.5k.

If bond ends up being lower than anticipated, we will put the funds towards other administrative or legal costs, and towards helping Diego fund his return travel to Brazil.

After Diego's costs are fully covered, any leftover funds will be donated to The Brazilian Worker Center for their work on immigration advocacy and the help they provide for cases like Diego's.

We will update the GoFundMe with proof of payments every time we make an attorney fee payment, or anytime we use the funds for related expenses. We will share receipts, etc.

Diegos family and friends in Brazil are also helping to fundraise, but do not have the ability to raise anywhere near the amount that Diego needs to fight for his release.

We hope that between Diego's communities in the States and Brazil, and the generosity of others who understand the plight of many immigrants that allows for these situations to happen and who believe no human can be illegal or deserves to be locked up for a visa issue, we will be able to quickly raise the $2,000. We will then focus on raising the remainder.

Any amount helps--even $5 helps get us closer to Diego's release.

Diego and his friends and family extend their sincerest thanks for any assistance people are willing to provide.