Community,

We are calling on you to help Raquel and her two children avoid eviction from their home in DC. A few years ago, you helped us raise money to support Raquel’s partner, Javier's* asylum claim and fight his deportation. Now his family needs your solidarity to continue surviving in the DMV. Javier is a loving husband and father who resided in the Washington D.C. area for more than a decade. He is part of an extended family which has called DC their home for almost three decades and he also has two children in the area, ages 6 and 12 who depended on him for emotional and financial stability.

But, in July 2018, despite DC’s status as a sanctuary city, DC police stopped Javier and called Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the scene. His arrest was part of a large-scale ICE operation in the District that sparked protests bringing hundreds of people into the streets. Despite community outrage, Javier was jailed and threatened with deportation away from his family simply for having entered the country without authorization

Though Javier, his family, his attorneys and his many supporters fought for Javier’s right to remain with his family and community, Javier was ripped from us in February of 2020. Since then, his partner Raquel has been left to support their two children as they struggle with the devastating loss of their father.

The situation became completely impossible when Raquel’s work dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since falling behind during that time, the high cost of living and low wages have meant the family still struggles to pay bills and rent and generally stay afloat. Raquel has suffered from depression from the loss of her husband and the stress of trying to manage without his support.

Please help support this family that has been devastated by the US’s cruel and unjust immigration system and DC police’s refusal to cut ties with ICE.