The Maya Q’eqchi’ immigrant community of Houston has been hit hard in recent months by immigration enforcement. As ICE started a surge in October in Houston, this attack has been compounded, with dozens of community members being violently taken daily by ICE. 

I am raising money to be able to add funds to the accounts of community members in immigration detention centers so they can contact family members and coordinate legal defense or an arrival plan if they are getting deported back to Guatemala. With the for-profit system of detaining immigrants, it’s pretty costly to make calls. This is on top of figuring out how to pay rent and bills and buy food for families dealing with losing a breadwinner in the home. If we can raise enough money, funds from this fundraiser would also support families for rent and food.

Background on this community:

Most of these families come from the Peten region of Guatemala, which is dominated by plantations, mostly growing African palm trees. There is widespread exploitation of workers, with many making less than $2/day. Many have had their ancestral lands stolen by plantation owners. Many of these folks have multiple family members who have been murdered or disappeared for organizing to better the lives of their community. The Guatemalan government provides no protection or support, and foreign multinational corporations, including many American ones, are investors in the industries that are stealing wealth from these communities.