Hello, my name is Ashlee, and I never imagined I would be writing something like this. I am raising funds for my uncle Kyla—known to my siblings and me as “Uncle Dragon”—who was suddenly detained by ICE.

In the early hours of January 13th, my uncle was taken from his home while both he and the world were still asleep. Although he was born in Laos, America is the only home he has ever known. He entered this country legally in 1981 as a young child, and to our knowledge, we no longer have any family left in Laos. Everything he knows, everyone he loves, and every memory he has is here.

My uncle is not perfect—none of us are. He made mistakes when he was younger, but he paid for them and worked hard to keep going. He bounced from job to job, doing whatever he could to survive and stay afloat in a system that often felt stacked against him. Still, he tried. Now, after everything, he is being forced to leave behind the only life he has ever known.

The thought of him being sent to Laos is terrifying. He would be completely alone—no family, no friends, no support system, and no familiarity with the life he would be expected to build. I am raising funds to help him survive this transition and, with hope, one day reunite him with his siblings—my mom and their older brother.

This has been unimaginably hard on my mother. The fear she carries for her brother is something no one should have to endure. My siblings and I spend every waking hour searching for answers, hoping for a miracle, even when we know how limited the options truly are.

Every single dollar donated goes toward helping my uncle create some sense of stability in what may become his new and unfamiliar life.

I have genuinely never felt so helpless or desperate. This fundraiser is my way of trying to protect my family, to find peace in the middle of so much chaos, and to remind my uncle that he is not alone—even if the system has failed him.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, for your kindness, your prayers, and your support. I truly hope no one ever has to experience something like this.

God bless.