Jose Miguel Zavala is a loving father and husband. But he has been kept from his wife and three children since July 15th, 2025. He has been detained for over 400 days at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, PA. Despite working, his wife Brenda Lucia struggles to pay bills on her own without him. They value their oldest son’s higher education which further strains their finances. They could use a little help to cover legal fees, college room and board and rent.

Miguel came to the US from Mexico when there were no pathways for him to legalize his status. Once in the US, he met and fell in love with Brenda, they married in 2005 and had 3 boys, now ages 12, 14, and 21. Miguel has worked in the US for over 23 years (often working multiple jobs at once). Brenda and Miguel are long-time residents of Kennett Square and members of Iglesia San Roque in Avondale, PA.

Miguel’s detention came as a shock, as the family thought only criminals would be detained. Their boys desperately miss Miguel and struggle to understand the situation. Their dad should be there as they start seventh grade and high school. He should be there for birthdays. Miguel’s detention has significantly impacted the whole family.

Kevin was on summer break from Indiana University of PA when his dad was detained. He sacrificed his studies to take the semester off to stay home and work to help his mom cover living expenses, help take care of his younger brothers and deal with the emotional impact of the loss of his dad.

Brenda and Miguel are committed to Kevin’s education and with hope in their pockets, sent him back to college last spring. Kevin has a scholarship to study Computer Science and has three semesters left to graduate, but room and board expenses loom over their heads. Despite the temptation for him to leave school and find a job to help his mom financially, he has committed to finishing his degree.

But the family needs your help to make Kevin’s dream possible while continuing to fight for Miguel’s release. Brenda works full-time at Wawa and has a second job at a restaurant. During the summers and on college breaks, Kevin works to help cover expenses (he focuses on his academics while at college). Their efforts to cover expenses are not enough. Here are some of the expenses facing the family:

$5,100 On-campus housing for Kevin for the fall (current) semester

$2,100 Campus meal plan for the fall (current) semester

$5,100 On-campus housing for the spring semester

$2,100 Campus meal plan for the spring semester

$1,600 in legal fees to continue to fight Miguel’s case

Total Goal: $16,000

Brenda and her boys need our support. Please consider a donation of any size to support their family through this difficult time. All funds (minus processing fees) will go directly to Brenda to support Kevin’s education and legal effort to free Miguel. Thank you for your compassion and support. Every donation is appreciated.