My name is Matt Fischer, and I’m an American citizen living in Nashville, Tennessee. I’m writing on behalf of my family to ask for help during one of the most painful and frightening experiences we have ever faced.

My fiancée, Arcahalis Lovera, is currently being held in an ICE detention center in Louisiana and facing deportation. The funds raised through this GoFundMe will go directly toward legal expenses needed to fight for her release and continue her asylum case.

Arcahalis is a Venezuelan national who has lived in the United States since 2021 with a pending asylum case. From the very beginning, she has followed the law and complied with every requirement of the asylum process. She has never missed a scheduled check-in with the Department of Homeland Security.

On Thursday, December 4, Arcahalis attended her routine ICE appointment in Nashville at 501 Brick Church Park Drive, just as she had done in prior years. She was asked to return the following Monday, December 8. I accompanied her to that appointment…she went inside — and never came back out.

While inside, Arcahalis was detained by ICE without warning or explanation. She texted me during the appointment saying things were going well. About 40 minutes later, a message was sent from her phone saying she had been arrested and that I needed to leave the parking lot. No reason was given.

Since then, everything has happened with alarming speed and very little information. Arcahalis was first transported to Knoxville, Tennessee, then transferred to Alabama, and has now been moved again to an ICE detention facility in Louisiana. Our family has been struggling to keep up with the transfers, the lack of communication, and the uncertainty surrounding her case.

Arcahalis has no criminal record in the United States — not even a traffic or parking violation. She has a valid Social Security number, a Tennessee driver’s license, and has paid taxes for the past three years. She has done everything asked of her and more.

Her two daughters and her American-born grandson all live here in Nashville. She is a devoted mother and grandmother. We have built a life together here, and her sudden detention has left our family devastated and terrified for her future.

We have retained an immigration attorney who is actively working on her case. However, we have been told that the outlook is extremely difficult due to recent policy changes that went into effect on December 2, impacting individuals from 19 countries, including Venezuela. These changes have drastically reduced options for bond or release — even for people like Arcahalis who have fully complied with the asylum process.

Legal representation, filings, detention advocacy, and emergency motions are costly. Every dollar raised will go toward her legal defense and efforts to secure her release from detention.

If you are able to donate, share, or keep Arcahalis and our family in your thoughts and prayers, we are deeply grateful. Your support means more than words can express.

Thank you for helping us fight to bring her home.

— Matt Fischer