Help support E in his fight against ICE!

This fundraiser has met it's goal thanks to the generosity of so many people! All future funds that come in through this fundraiser will be donated to Louisiana Advocates for Immigrants in Detention https://laaid.org. They helped connect us with someone that coordinated E's safe return from Mississippi to RI, and are doing this for hundred of people in a similar situation.

In early June, E (using only initial for protection) went to a routine check-in for his Asylum case, something he has done regularly for several years, and was abducted by ICE. He spent the first couple of weeks imprisoned in Massachusetts, and then was moved to a prison in Mississippi.

E’s detention left his wife to care for their three children on her own. Their children are 15, 11, and 2 years old. He was the primary bread-winner for his family, and without his income, the family has struggled to cover basic expenses in addition to legal fees.

On Monday July 7th, a Judge decided that E could be released on bond and return home to be with his family while he continues to fight for asylum and to resist his deportation. While this is amazing news, the bond was set for $15,000 (I was told by other families that DHS has been increasing the bond amounts steadily over the last few months)! The DHS lawyer threatened to file an appeal, so the family was desperate to get E out before that happens, so they scraped together the $15k by borrowing from everyone they know and handing over all of their savings.

In addition to the bond, there are ongoing legal fees, and the expense of getting him home from Mississippi, which has been quite an ordeal to figure out and arrange!

I became involved in this case because E’s brother is my ESOL student. I have been helping them navigate the bond process and figure out how to get E home for Mississippi. Even as an English speaker and a citizen, it’s been really difficult and clear that the system is set up in ways that are opaque, confusing, unaccountable, and cruel. Thankfully we figured everything out. He arrived home and was reunited with his wife and children on Saturday evening, but their story doesn't end there.

Now I am shifting my energy to fundraising for this family, so that they can recoup some of the money that they have already spent, and ideally have a cushion for some of the legal expenses ahead. Both E and his wife fled violence in their home country and have pending asylum cases.

Donations of any amount are welcomed and appreciated!