Rent & Food Support for Asylum Seekers
Donation protected
Friends and Family,
As most of you know, I'm an immigration attorney who represents asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and other crimes, and children who have been abandoned, neglected or abused. I normally do not raise funds to support my clients in their new lives in the United States because I have learned through my work that immigrants are the most resilient and hardworking folks I know, and none of them are looking for a handout.
But these are not normal times. I received a call from my 18-year-old asylum seeker client this morning, and he told me that his dad, his only family in the U.S., tested positive for COVID-19 and is on a ventilator at the hospital. The son is awaiting his own results. They are the only financial support for his mother and younger sister in El Salvador. They had been staying home for a while, but when bills piled up, they took the risk to find work as day laborers in construction. They worked until last Friday when the father was transported in an ambulance to the hospital.
They of course were not eligible for stimulus money. And what killed me is that the reason my client was calling was to ask if they could have one more month to pay their bill. I have told all of my clients to not worry about paying me until the lockdowns are lifted, but this family is so hardworking and have so much integrity that they risked their lives to pay their bills anyway. I just pray that the bill for their legal representation was not any part of the reason they risked their lives, but I know it probably was.
I'm reminded now of the incredible privilege we have to stay at home while essential workers and the undocumented workforce continue risking their lives every day, just to pay for housing and food, and though it's hard to admit, so that we can live comfortably. This is unjust.
I'm raising money to help pay rent and food costs for my clients for the months of May and June so that they can stay home and stop risking their lives to make ends meet. They're working in jobs that provide no PPE, and when they get sick, they have no health insurance. If there's any amount you can contribute, I would be so appreciative. Every cent will go directly to pay rent and food costs for my clients.
As most of you know, I'm an immigration attorney who represents asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and other crimes, and children who have been abandoned, neglected or abused. I normally do not raise funds to support my clients in their new lives in the United States because I have learned through my work that immigrants are the most resilient and hardworking folks I know, and none of them are looking for a handout.
But these are not normal times. I received a call from my 18-year-old asylum seeker client this morning, and he told me that his dad, his only family in the U.S., tested positive for COVID-19 and is on a ventilator at the hospital. The son is awaiting his own results. They are the only financial support for his mother and younger sister in El Salvador. They had been staying home for a while, but when bills piled up, they took the risk to find work as day laborers in construction. They worked until last Friday when the father was transported in an ambulance to the hospital.
They of course were not eligible for stimulus money. And what killed me is that the reason my client was calling was to ask if they could have one more month to pay their bill. I have told all of my clients to not worry about paying me until the lockdowns are lifted, but this family is so hardworking and have so much integrity that they risked their lives to pay their bills anyway. I just pray that the bill for their legal representation was not any part of the reason they risked their lives, but I know it probably was.
I'm reminded now of the incredible privilege we have to stay at home while essential workers and the undocumented workforce continue risking their lives every day, just to pay for housing and food, and though it's hard to admit, so that we can live comfortably. This is unjust.
I'm raising money to help pay rent and food costs for my clients for the months of May and June so that they can stay home and stop risking their lives to make ends meet. They're working in jobs that provide no PPE, and when they get sick, they have no health insurance. If there's any amount you can contribute, I would be so appreciative. Every cent will go directly to pay rent and food costs for my clients.
Organizer
Megan Brody
Organizer
Alexandria, VA