Help Micaela Pascual Fight ICE Detention

This story is about my mom, Micaela Pascual, from Fort Payne, Alabama. She is a hard-working immigrant who came to the U.S. when she was 19. She has been living in the U.S. for over 25 years and has been trying to obtain her residency for many of those years but has had no success. Throughout these 25 years, she has worked and paid taxes just like any U.S. citizen. The difference is that she is contributing to Social Security and Medicare, yet she is not able to benefit from them. She is a great example of an immigrant who came here to work and contribute to society. However, the government doesn’t see her that way; they don’t recognize her as a dedicated worker, a mother, or a human being. Instead, they only see an illegal immigrant.

I’m sharing my mom’s story because, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, she was detained by ICE. I had taken her to her annual follow-up appointment, but this time was different. They informed her that she had to be detained because of a self-deportation incident in 2013. At that time, she had five children that she was raising in the U.S. What was she supposed to do? Take us with her? Leave us with the government? Of course not, she chose to stay.

For over a decade, she received a work permit that allowed her to work each year. During each follow-up, they never detained her or raised any concerns until now. The reasons behind this drastic change are uncertain, but according to lawyers and statements from other immigrants, it seems to be related to a shift in presidential administration. They are tearing families apart; ICE took away a mother of six, and she still has an 11-year-old child in the U.S. How do you explain to an 11-year-old that ICE took their mother away and that they won’t be able to see her for a while? There isn't a right way to say it.

It doesn’t matter what side you’re on; what is happening is wrong, especially to those who do not deserve this treatment. Instead of deporting criminals, they are deporting hard-working individuals who have permits to work and are trying to do things the right way.

This fundraiser is to help cover the costs of hiring a lawyer and any fees my mother may encounter. If she is deported, these funds will at least assist her in setting up her life in Guatemala, where she has very few resources. We greatly appreciate everyone's support. Thank You, my mom is very thankful for all of this.