On October 17th, my cousin Robert was arrested in Washington D.C. while on his way to work. Robert is an honest, kind, and respectful person with no criminal record, all his documents in order, and a pending asylum case. He is also a devoted father to his 13-year-old child, and our family is deeply worried about the possibility of him being deported and separated from his son. For our family, this arrest was devastating.

We managed to gather money from wherever we could to hire a federal lawyer, and Robert was finally released. In the photo we shared, you can see the bracelet he was given during his detention, a reminder of how difficult this process was.

But his legal situation is far from over. Robert will have a hearing with ICE to determine whether he will be released on bond or supervision, which comes with additional unexpected costs. He also faces the risk of being detained again on the day of the hearing, which forces us to hire a new lawyer to represent him. On top of that, his previous asylum lawyer tried to take advantage of the situation and asked for more money, so we now need to start from scratch with a lawyer who can ensure fair representation in both the bond hearing and his asylum case.

Every contribution, no matter how small, will help cover these essential legal expenses and ensure Robert gets the fair representation he deserves. He has always been a person of integrity and respect, and now more than ever he needs our help to face this injustice and remain with his 13-year-old child. Your support can make a real difference and give Robert the chance to defend his rights, stay with his son, and move forward with his life.