Hi my name is Andrea and I making a GFM on behalf of my best friend Miguel (Mike). Mike is a Venezuelan immigrant whose biggest dream is the American dream.

He was driving his electric scooter home from work late Thursday night into Friday morning, when a cop pulled him over for driving through a blinking red light. The officer was going to let him off with a warning. But after running his driver’s license Mike/the officer found out there was a warrant for his arrest from ICE/DHS.

Anyone who knows Mike, knows that he is always on top of his immigration paperwork, fees, and meetings. His pathway to citizenship has always been the number one priority to him. He had no idea why there would he a warrant for his arrest. He found out ICE sent a notice to an old address that he no longer lived at from two old addresses ago. So Mike never got the mail notice and thus was never aware of whatever correspondence DHS/ICE sent him to the old address.

Mike is currently being held at Metro West Detention Center in Doral, Florida. He will be seeing an immigration judge hopefully by Monday morning where he will be able to get an immigration bond. Unlike a regular bond in a criminal case he has to pay the FULL amount. Thus, he cannot access a bails bonds man to only have to pay 10%. As of now we have an estimated bond cost from his lawyer but will have the exact number once he sees a judge.

Mike will also have to pay for his immigration attorney fees. He has already had a local friend in Miami take his whole vinyl collection to a local record store to sell for cash to start paying the attorney fees.

On top of all the immigration fees, Mike has been caring for his sick Mother in Panama by paying for her medical care on top of his own personal bills. So while Mike has been working, his savings have been drained over the past 6ish+ months between his mom’s health care and immigration fees.

Mike would help anyone and everyone. He even has been helping other immigrants in the jail with translations between any English and Spanish.

He has been an amazing part of our Swiftie community. So I am starting this GFM in hopes to help him cover his bond and immigration fees as much as possible. Any shares and donations mean the world to not just Mike but to his family and community that care about him.

****NOTE: After talking with Mike, I am putting Mike’s friend, Karla as the beneficiary, she is there in Miami and she is able to send the funds directly to a bank account/has access to accounts to pay the lawyer/pay the bond since he cannot as he is in custody.