Legal fees to get Million out of ICE detention

A few weeks ago, my good friend Million was taken by ICE when he went to his immigration check in. He is now in ICE detention in Bakersfield. He was a political asylum seeker from Eritrea, and recently married the lovely Fasika, who is a U.S. citizen. I met Million when I was volunteering at the International Rescue Committee in Oakland, California in 2019, and we stayed in touch. He is a lovely, brilliant guy, very devoted to his wife and his local church. You couldn’t really find a better model citizen.

Please read Fasika’s story below and THANK YOU for any support. ANY donation, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.

-Caroline

Hello, my name is Fasika, and I’m reaching out with a heavy heart and deep humility to ask for help during the most difficult time in our lives.

My husband Million was recently detained by ICE despite having no criminal record, strong ties to our community, and in process to adjust his status lawfully. Million held a bachelor's in English from his home country and was an educator of the English language, and was pursuing higher education here in health before he was abruptly detained which has put his life in a large pause despite all the adversities he faced and overcame in his life. His detention has torn apart our family emotionally and financially. We’re now fighting to keep our family together through the complicated and costly immigration legal process. Our newlywed life and honeymoon phase has been snatched from us, we have been separated and sit in distress and agony.

We met through mutual friends and after dating for a while we got engaged and then married in February of 2025, having dealt with the wedding costs and moving across the states to live together, it has not been easy but we could sustain our lives supporting each other and leading a happy married life. We are also both highly active in our local churches in the Eritrean Community.

But we have encountered one misfortune after another. Making matters even more difficult, I was laid off from my job and haven't been able to secure a job yet. With no steady income, I am struggling to cover basic living expenses, legal fees, and bills that continue to pile up. Every day has become a battle—emotionally, financially, and spiritually—as I try to support my husband while holding things together here at home.

We are working with an immigration attorney to pursue every possible legal avenue to stop the deportation and bring my husband back home where he belongs. But these legal fees are overwhelming with the success rate being very slim, especially when combined with rent, utilities, food, and other essentials.

We are asking for your kindness, your prayers, and if you are able, your financial support. Any amount you can give—big or small—will go directly towards:

Legal representation and filing fees

Rent and utility bills

Transportation to and from detention centers

Food and basic necessities

Please help us fight this battle. Every donation, every share, every word of encouragement means the world to us. Thank you for reading our story and standing with us in this time of need.

With gratitude,

Fasika & Million