In October of this year, Magdalena’s husband was asked to report to the ICE detention center in Burlington MA. He went accompanied by his wife and young children and was immediately deported. His wife was told she also had an order of deportation and that she was to report back to the Detention Center a few months later.

The family had been in the United States for over five years. They are members of an indigenous community in Guatemala who came to this country seeking asylum. Through much hardship they were able to establish a home, send their children to school, and become a vital part of our community.

Now all they have worked for has been lost, and Magdalena has been faced with the excruciating decision to return to Guatemala with her children before her appointment at the detention center, or risk showing up for her appointment and being detained and deported back to Guatemala leaving her children’s fate uncertain.

She has chosen to return to Guatemala with her children and join her husband. With your help we were able to raise money to ease Magdalena and her children's return.

However, they are returning to a house that has fallen into disrepair. It is not a suitable, safe or healthy living environment for anyone especially for children.

Magdalena and her husband hope to raise funds to repair their house and turn it into a home. This will be a longer-term effort. With your help we can continue to help Magdalena and her family respond to the crisis of deportation with dignity.

As we reach milestones in donations, Magdalena and her family will share pictures of the repairs they have carried out on their house as they turn it back into a home and rebuild their lives.

Magdalena sends blessings and thanks to you all.