<div>I am asking for your help as I work to rebuild my life after an experience that changed me forever.
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<div>I came to the United States from Yangon, Myanmar, when I was just 8 years old. I arrived legally with my father and older brother, holding a valid B-2 visa. America became my home. In 2007, I properly adjusted my immigration status and became a lawful permanent resident of the United States.
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<div>For decades, I built my life here, worked toward my future, and dreamed of accomplishing something many people take for granted: owning my first home.
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<div>Then everything changed.
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<div><strong>A wrongful arrest and an unexpected ICE detention</strong>
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<div>On June 22, 2025, I was wrongfully arrested. I was ultimately released on my own recognizance after the judge determined there was no probable cause and apologized to me.
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<div>I thought I was finally going home.
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<div>But as I was being processed for release, an ICE agent appeared. I was taken into immigration custody and transported to the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Complex in Florence, Arizona, operated by CoreCivic.
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<div>I went from believing I was finally going home to being taken into federal immigration detention.
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<div>Because my immigration case had been transferred from Phoenix to Florence, I spent approximately three months in ICE detention before even having my first immigration court hearing.
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<div>What followed was nearly a year of uncertainty, fear, and separation from my family, loved ones, and community.
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<div><strong>Fighting for protection because of who I am</strong>
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<div>I am a queer person from Myanmar, a country that has experienced military dictatorship and where LGBTQ+ people face serious persecution and criminalization.
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<div>During my immigration proceedings, I sought protection based on the danger I would face if returned to Myanmar.
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<div>Honorable Immigration Judge Nancy E. Miller ultimately granted me withholding of removal, recognizing that I had established grounds for protection from being removed to Myanmar.
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<div>But even after receiving that relief, I remained in ICE custody.
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<div>I had already spent thousands of dollars on attorneys and legal expenses. The money I had worked so hard to save was money I had hoped to use toward purchasing my first home—the American dream I had spent years working toward.
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<div>Instead, it was consumed by the legal and financial consequences of my detention and immigration proceedings.
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<div><strong>I eventually had to fight for my freedom myself</strong>
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<div>After months in detention, I learned about something called a habeas corpus petition, a legal mechanism that can be used to challenge unlawful or prolonged detention.
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<div>With the help and encouragement of family, friends, and members of my community, I filed my habeas corpus petition pro se—meaning I represented myself—on February 3, 2026.
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<div>On May 7, 2026, Honorable United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa granted my habeas corpus petition and ordered ICE to release me from custody within 48 hours.
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<div>After approximately 11.5 months in ICE detention, I was finally coming home.
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<div>I will never forget what it felt like to walk out and see my family and loved ones again.
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<div><strong>Now I need help rebuilding</strong>
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<div>I am incredibly grateful to be home.
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<div>But coming home did not mean the financial consequences disappeared.
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<div>The money I had saved for my future was depleted by legal expenses and everything associated with this prolonged ordeal. I am now trying to rebuild financially while also dealing with approximately $45,000 in immigration-related legal fees and expenses.
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<div><strong>That is why I am asking for help.</strong>
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<div><strong>My goal is to raise $45,000 to help pay my outstanding immigration attorney fees and recover financially from the enormous costs this experience created.</strong>
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<div>Every contribution—no matter how large or small—will make a meaningful difference.
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<div>If you are unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser with your friends, family, coworkers, or community would mean just as much to me.
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<div>After everything that happened, my greatest hope is simply to have the opportunity to rebuild the life I worked so hard to create in America.
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<div>I came here as an 8-year-old child.
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<div>I grew up here.
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<div>I built my life here.
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<div>And after everything I have endured, I am incredibly grateful to finally be home.
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<div>Thank you for reading my story, for believing in me, and for helping me take the next step toward rebuilding my future.
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<div>With gratitude!
</div><img alt="" media_type="null" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/108656843_1791054789752823_r.png" width="100%" />

Help Me Rebuild My Life After 11.5 Months in ICE Detention

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