I am reaching out to you because one of my former coworkers and friend, Luis Reyes Villegas, has been detained by ICE and is currently being held in Batavia, NY. We are trying to raise $10,000 to help Luis and his family pay for a good lawyer and court fees.

Luis is 23 years old and has lived in the United States since he was 1. He knows no other life besides the one he has created here. Not only is he a law-abiding citizen, but he is also a hard worker and a caring soul. Luis drove 45 minutes every single day to his job; he even worked double shifts most days to make enough money to support himself and his family. Not once in his 22 years here has he been in any trouble with the government, not even given a speeding ticket.

Luis is an amazing person. He gives the best advice and is a friend anyone would be lucky to have. An example is when last year for Valentine's Day, two of our coworkers had just gotten out of toxic relationships and were feeling very lonely on the holiday. Luis, on his work break, went to the store and made each of them gift baskets for the holiday so that they knew someone was there for them. Another example, when I was having a bad day, Luis went out and bought me Dunkin, again on his work break, and told me to "never stop shining." His generosity, dedication, and courage will never go unnoticed.

We even believe he was not meant to be detained but caught in the “wrong place,” his home, his safe place. ICE was supposedly there for his dad but took him and his mother as well. Although we are not certain that this information is correct, it still does not make it just.

The injustice in this country is terrible, and the only way we can fix that is by supporting each other, standing by each other, and advocating for those who are being wrongly deported. What truly is the cost of freedom?