Send Benjamin Home
Donation protected
[español abajo] We are devastated by the loss of Benjamin Padilla Rosas, who took his own life on September 5th. Benjamin, an activist, inventor and asylum seeker, had been living in the U.S. for the last two years. The folks he was living with here in the U.S. are working with his family in his home country who have requested that we send his remains back to his country.
This fundraiser will allow Benjamin to go back to his family and will cover funeral expenses.
Benjamin’s life touched many and was guided by a deep commitment to his community, his family, and to justice. He was a tireless and creative advocate for all those he met who were unjustly detained by ICE. Having taught himself the basics of U.S. immigration law while detained, he continued to call, write, and agitate for his friends even after he had been released. Friends he made in ICE detention called him “The Lawyer” because of his self-taught knowledge and tenacity in fighting for the release of countless people from a cruel and arbitrary detention system.
Benjamin had a self-deprecating sense of humor, even when times were hard. A torture survivor, he joked that he was “Mr. Potato Head” because of all the reconstructive surgeries he endured.
Benjamin was an artist, inventor, and computer whiz. His pride was a machine he invented that could print messages or logos directly on rose petals. In his short time in the U.S. he acquired a 3-D printer, an architectural plotter and several laptops. He was always dreaming and coding new projects.
Please support with whatever you can to send Benjamin, our dear friend and fellow activist, back home.
Note: Raised funds will be used to pay for all U.S. funeral home expenses and for transportation of Benjamin’s remains. Any funds left over will be transferred to Benjamin’s parents for use covering funeral expenses or for other expenses.
Laura Hatfield, the beneficiary is a friend of Benjamin's who is handling financial aspects here in the US. Communication and logistics with Benjamin's surviving mother and sister in Mexico are complicated because they speak only Spanish and the funeral home does not have any Spanish-speakers on staff.
Laura has paid for the funeral home's services, shipping Benjamin's belongings to his mother in Mexico, and translation services at his Zoom memorial service. Benjamin's mother and sister set up a new Santander account this week that will allow them to accept an international wire transfer. Laura plans to send the balance of the GoFundMe donations minus the above-listed expenses to that account as soon as possible, with the expectation that the GoFundMe balance will be transferred to her. We have kept careful records of all these transactions.
As we wrote in the GoFundMe description, the goals of the campaign were to pay for funeral expenses, return Benjamin's remains and possessions to Mexico, and to raise money for his family. The first two categories have already been paid out, so we want to reimburse Laura Hatfield for those and for her transfer of the remaining funds to Benjamin's mother and sister in Mexico.
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Estamos devastados por la pérdida de Benjamin Padilla Rosas, quien se quitó la vida el 5 de septiembre. Benjamin, activista, inventor y solicitante de asilo, vivió en los EEUU por dos años. Sus compañeros de casa en los EEUU están trabajando con su familia en su país de origen, los cuales han pedido que se regresen sus restos al país.
Esta recaudación de fondos nos permitirá regresar a Benjamin a su familia y cubrir los gastos del funeral.
La vida de Benjamin impactó a muchos, guiado por un gran compromiso con su comunidad, su familia, y la justicia. Él era un activista incansable, abogando por todos aquellos que se encontraba y que habían sido injustamente detenidos por ICE. Habiendo aprendido elementos básicos de la ley de imigración de los EEUU, siempre continuó llamando, escribiendo, y agitando por la causa de sus amigos, aún luego de haber sido liberado. Los amigos que lo conocieron en la detención de ICE lo llamaban “El Abogado” por su conocimiento auto-adquirido y su tenacidad para luchar por la liberación de tantas personas de un sistema de detención cruel y arbitrario.
Benjamin tenía un sentido de humor autocrítico aún cuando las cosas se ponían malas. Habiendo sobrevivido muchas torturas, se burlaba de que era conocido como “Mr. Potato Head” a causa de todas las cirugías de reconstrucción que había tenido.
Benjamín era un artista, inventor, y mago de la computadora. Su orgullo era una máquina que inventó que podía imprimir mensajes y logos en los pétalos de rosas. En su corto tiempo en los EEUU logró adquirir una máquina de imprimir en 3-dimensiones, un trazador de arquitectura, y varias computadoras portátiles. Siempre estaba soñando y codificando nuevos proyectos.
Por favor contribuyan con lo que puedan en estos momentos para poder enviar a nuestro querido amigo y activista Benjamin de regreso a casa.
Nota: Los fondos que sean recaudados serán usados para pagar todos los gastos de la funeraria en EEUU y la transportación de los restos de Benjamin. Fondos que queden sobrantes serán transferidos a los padres de Benjamin para cubrir gastos del funeral y otros gastos.
This fundraiser will allow Benjamin to go back to his family and will cover funeral expenses.
Benjamin’s life touched many and was guided by a deep commitment to his community, his family, and to justice. He was a tireless and creative advocate for all those he met who were unjustly detained by ICE. Having taught himself the basics of U.S. immigration law while detained, he continued to call, write, and agitate for his friends even after he had been released. Friends he made in ICE detention called him “The Lawyer” because of his self-taught knowledge and tenacity in fighting for the release of countless people from a cruel and arbitrary detention system.
Benjamin had a self-deprecating sense of humor, even when times were hard. A torture survivor, he joked that he was “Mr. Potato Head” because of all the reconstructive surgeries he endured.
Benjamin was an artist, inventor, and computer whiz. His pride was a machine he invented that could print messages or logos directly on rose petals. In his short time in the U.S. he acquired a 3-D printer, an architectural plotter and several laptops. He was always dreaming and coding new projects.
Please support with whatever you can to send Benjamin, our dear friend and fellow activist, back home.
Note: Raised funds will be used to pay for all U.S. funeral home expenses and for transportation of Benjamin’s remains. Any funds left over will be transferred to Benjamin’s parents for use covering funeral expenses or for other expenses.
Laura Hatfield, the beneficiary is a friend of Benjamin's who is handling financial aspects here in the US. Communication and logistics with Benjamin's surviving mother and sister in Mexico are complicated because they speak only Spanish and the funeral home does not have any Spanish-speakers on staff.
Laura has paid for the funeral home's services, shipping Benjamin's belongings to his mother in Mexico, and translation services at his Zoom memorial service. Benjamin's mother and sister set up a new Santander account this week that will allow them to accept an international wire transfer. Laura plans to send the balance of the GoFundMe donations minus the above-listed expenses to that account as soon as possible, with the expectation that the GoFundMe balance will be transferred to her. We have kept careful records of all these transactions.
As we wrote in the GoFundMe description, the goals of the campaign were to pay for funeral expenses, return Benjamin's remains and possessions to Mexico, and to raise money for his family. The first two categories have already been paid out, so we want to reimburse Laura Hatfield for those and for her transfer of the remaining funds to Benjamin's mother and sister in Mexico.
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Estamos devastados por la pérdida de Benjamin Padilla Rosas, quien se quitó la vida el 5 de septiembre. Benjamin, activista, inventor y solicitante de asilo, vivió en los EEUU por dos años. Sus compañeros de casa en los EEUU están trabajando con su familia en su país de origen, los cuales han pedido que se regresen sus restos al país.
Esta recaudación de fondos nos permitirá regresar a Benjamin a su familia y cubrir los gastos del funeral.
La vida de Benjamin impactó a muchos, guiado por un gran compromiso con su comunidad, su familia, y la justicia. Él era un activista incansable, abogando por todos aquellos que se encontraba y que habían sido injustamente detenidos por ICE. Habiendo aprendido elementos básicos de la ley de imigración de los EEUU, siempre continuó llamando, escribiendo, y agitando por la causa de sus amigos, aún luego de haber sido liberado. Los amigos que lo conocieron en la detención de ICE lo llamaban “El Abogado” por su conocimiento auto-adquirido y su tenacidad para luchar por la liberación de tantas personas de un sistema de detención cruel y arbitrario.
Benjamin tenía un sentido de humor autocrítico aún cuando las cosas se ponían malas. Habiendo sobrevivido muchas torturas, se burlaba de que era conocido como “Mr. Potato Head” a causa de todas las cirugías de reconstrucción que había tenido.
Benjamín era un artista, inventor, y mago de la computadora. Su orgullo era una máquina que inventó que podía imprimir mensajes y logos en los pétalos de rosas. En su corto tiempo en los EEUU logró adquirir una máquina de imprimir en 3-dimensiones, un trazador de arquitectura, y varias computadoras portátiles. Siempre estaba soñando y codificando nuevos proyectos.
Por favor contribuyan con lo que puedan en estos momentos para poder enviar a nuestro querido amigo y activista Benjamin de regreso a casa.
Nota: Los fondos que sean recaudados serán usados para pagar todos los gastos de la funeraria en EEUU y la transportación de los restos de Benjamin. Fondos que queden sobrantes serán transferidos a los padres de Benjamin para cubrir gastos del funeral y otros gastos.
Organizer and beneficiary
Annie Gonzalez
Organizer
Jamaica Plain, MA
Laura Hatfield
Beneficiary
