My mother — a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the United States since 1971 after arriving here from Italy at just three years old — was detained by ICE in Charleston, South Carolina, during what we believed was a routine appointment to renew and review her permanent resident card.

She has spent more than five decades building her life in America. She raised four children here, cared for her family, worked hard, obeyed the law, and stood beside her husband through decades of military-related disability and hardship. America is the only home she truly knows.

Our family complied fully with the appointment notice she received in the mail. We arrived with every requested document, including identification, immigration paperwork, and family records. During the appointment, ICE officers confiscated our personal and legal documents, separated her from her husband, and detained her without warning.

Since then, she has been transferred between detention facilities across multiple states with very limited communication. Our family has struggled to get updates about her condition, location, and legal status.

The government is attempting to deport her based on a single misdemeanor unlawful carry charge from 2015. All other charges connected to that incident were dismissed and expunged. She has no violent criminal history.

Meanwhile, the life she built here tells the real story of who she is:

She has held lawful permanent resident status for decades.

She has a South Carolina driver’s license, Social Security card, and Department of Defense identification card.

She owns a home and vehicles in her name.

She has been the primary caregiver for her husband for over 32 years.

Her husband is a 100% disabled United States Marine Corps and Desert Storm veteran who depends on her daily for care and support. One of her sons is also a decorated U.S. Marine veteran who served two tours in Iraq. Her other children are hardworking, contributing members of society, and her daughter-in-law serves as a homicide detective for a local law enforcement agency.

This detention has devastated our family emotionally, physically, and financially.

We are now facing overwhelming legal expenses as we fight to keep our mother in the country she has called home for more than 55 years. Immigration attorneys, court filings, travel expenses, and emergency legal representation are quickly becoming more than our family can manage alone.

We are asking for help to:

Retain experienced immigration counsel

Fight her deportation case

Recover confiscated legal and immigration documents

Cover travel and communication expenses related to detention hearings

Ensure she receives proper medical care and access to medication while detained

Keep our family financially stable during this crisis

Every donation, share, and prayer means more than words can express.

Our mother is not a danger to society. She is a wife, mother, caregiver, grandmother, and the backbone of our family. She deserves dignity, due process, and the opportunity to continue the life she has built here in the United States for over five decades.

Thank you for standing with our family during this difficult time. Your support gives us hope and helps us continue fighting to bring her home.