Hello, my name is Sheldaelle Michel. I’m an early childhood teacher, and I’m fundraising for myself and my brother, Beely Michel.

We are Haitian immigrants who came to the United States seeking safety and a better future. Sadly, our home country is under the control of violent gangs, with no stable government to protect people like us. The danger is extreme—kidnappings, killings, and assaults happen daily.

Recently, the U.S. government revoked our Temporary Protected Status (TPS). We have been told we will be deported in August. If we return to Haiti, we believe there is a 90% chance we will not survive. The only way to stay alive would be to join the gangs, which we refuse to do.

After speaking with people who help refugees and immigrants, we’ve learned there is hope: we could apply to move to another safer country. But the cost is very high. Just for the travel and legal expenses for my brother and me, we need $14,000. This does not include living expenses once we arrive, or costs for our parents, who we cannot afford to help or coming with us right now.

My brother, Beely, lost his job three months ago because his work permit expired. Although he applied to renew it before it expired, the government never issued the new one. As a teacher, my salary barely covers our basic needs, let alone these emergency costs. Our savings are gone.

We are terrified of being sent back. We simply want a chance to live safely and build a future.

Please, if you can, help us raise $14,000 so we can escape this life-threatening situation. Any donation, no matter how small, brings us closer to safety and gives us hope.

Thank you for reading our story, and for any support you can give.

How We Calculated Our Goal of $14,000 

 Here’s how the $14,000 will be used: 

 ✅ Legal and Administrative Fees – $2,000 total 

 • $1,000 for my legal paperwork to enter the Dominican Republic temporarily.

 • $1,000 for my brother’s legal paperwork to enter the Dominican Republic temporarily. 

 We cannot remain in the Dominican Republic permanently, but it is our only immediate safe option to avoid being sent back to Haiti. 

 ✅ Travel Costs to Mexico – $12,000 total 

 • $6,000 for my safe travel and paperwork processing from the Dominican Republic to Mexico. 

 

• $6,000 for my brother’s safe travel and paperwork processing from the Dominican Republic to Mexico. 

 We have a trusted person who successfully helped our cousins with this same process and who can help us legally enter Mexico and eventually reunite with our cousin, who is now a residents there. 

 ❌ Not included in this amount:

•Accommodation 

 • Food 

 • Other daily expenses 

 My brother and I will do our best to manage accommodation, food, and other essential costs on our own once we reach safety. 

 Why This Matters If we are deported to Haiti, we face a very real chance of being killed, kidnapped, or forced into dangerous situations simply to survive. We are desperate to avoid this fate and find safety in Mexico, where we have family support waiting for us. 

 Every donation, no matter how small, brings us closer to safety. Thank you for reading and for caring about our future. 

 

With gratitude,

Sheldaelle and Beely Michel