Helping Miss Zainab’s husband, Karamba Diaite
Objective: To raise funds to help Miss Zainab with expenses after her husband, Karambe Diaite, was detained by ICE.
Goal: $25,000
The situation:
Our dear teacher and fellow community member, Zainab Muhammed, and her husband, Karambe Diaite, have immigrated to the United States for better opportunities. Her husband, who emigrated from Senegal, has had an open asylum case, but was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on November 26, 2025 at night when he accidentally took the wrong exit to the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, NY. Despite being here on asylum, on February 3rd the government made the decision to send Miss Zainab’s husband to a third country, Uganda. They have advised Miss Zainab that they have 30 days to appeal this decision.
Many of us know Miss Zainab as a beloved teacher who has worked at the Jewish Community Center Early Childhood Center in the Chatzkela room for years and has cared for and loved our children. Even after our children have outgrown her room, they are always excited to see her in the hallway, and she is always overjoyed to see them as well, greeting them with big smiles, hugs, and the sweet, personalized nickname and song they picked up in her room.
Karambe was meaningfully employed as a housekeeper at a Comfort Inn Hotel. Together, Miss Zainab and Karambe have a sweet son, who we all know as one of the students at the JCC. To be separated from his father, possibly permanently, is cruel and heart-breaking. As an early childhood educator, Miss Zainab has been an honorary mother for all of our children who have been loved for and cared for by her in Chatzkelas. It is disgusting and an absolute tragedy to tear her son’s father away when she has given so much to our children individually and to all of us as a community.
What the funds will be used for:
- Secure trusted immigration attorneys to represent Karambe in court and navigate the complex legal proceedings.
- Cover bond fees, application costs, and court-related expenses to help gain his release.
- Pay for travel, document translation, and administrative fees required throughout the legal process.
- Support Miss Zainab’s family with immediate material needs, such as paying rent and groceries.
How You Can Help:
- Donate generously, to empower Miss Zainab’s family to secure robust legal representation and create a safety net for basic needs during this period.
- Share this campaign through your social networks. Every voice raised helps rally wider support.
- Offer connections if you know immigration lawyers or nonprofits assisting detained families—they could be invaluable.
Send a message of solidarity to Miss Zainab’s family—your encouragement matters.
Why It Matters:
Miss Zainab has always given love, care, and compassion to our families, our children, and our community. Now, she needs our collective help. By standing together, we can help ensure her husband receives fair legal defense and protect their family’s unity and well-being.
Please donate now to provide Miss Zainab and Karambe the support they urgently need. The organizer of this fundraiser is Mai-Linh Notaro and other parents of the JCC. 100% of the funds raised will be used to help them.
Your gift, no matter the size, sends a powerful message: that justice, compassion, and solidarity come first. Thank you for your generosity and for standing with Miss Zainab’s family in their time of need.
Organizer and beneficiary
Zainab Muhammed
Beneficiary