UPDATE July 29*****

I hit my 4,000 goal thru this platform and venmo / cashapp donations. Y'all . I'm so immensely grateful. So relieved. So optimistic for so much of me. . . Thank you. .. Thank you for holding me in these ways . ☹️.

Blessings on blessings to y'all.

My name is Jade, I’m a migrant woman of trans experience. I’ve been a long time organizer from growing up in the Midwest to my time in the Bay Area. I have had a long-standing passion for advocacy and have always found myself poured into and poured myself back into the community. I am facing financial obstacles restricting me from accessing the proper legal representation I need to get asylum.

I applied for DACA when it initially came out and when my status expired around 8 years ago, I chose to pursue asylum.

I came to this decision in the hopes that I would be able to access FAFSA, EBT, Medi-Cal, and other forms of federal aid that could assist me as I navigated through life and the barriers that held me back from achieving my goals. This would also give me more autonomy and agency over my life.

I've been at the mercy of USCIS's back burner of bureaucracy. Then during Trump’s administration and COVID, the finish line just kept being pushed further and further back. So many people are forgotten and forced into living in the shadows and made invisible at the mercy of the government’s will, including me.

As I’ve been on this administrative standby, I’ve been forced to pay tuition out-of-pocket for the last four years with no forms of federal aid. Through an immense amount of labor and community mutual aid, this wouldn’t have been possible.

Although I am exhausted from trying to survive while living in the Bay Area, I’ve obtained enough credits to transfer to a private art school, and if I am able to continue my education, my next goal would be to transfer to UC Berkeley. This is reliant on being able to access the resources meant to support me that have been withheld due to the lack of progress on behalf of the USCIS.

These last eight years have been deeply exhausting and left me feeling exasperated and saddened. I am angry that this is the way the system is built to work. It is purposeful in its difficulty. I am the last person in my immediate family at the cusp of receiving a permanent status as I only currently hold a work permit.

My biggest obstacle to obtaining my dreams is my immigration status. My asylum case is being handled by the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC) and, with their legal advocacy, my case can be expedited. With this being an election year, and an increasingly tumultuous one at that, the future is more than ever terrifyingly unpredictable. It is desperately crucial that my asylum case be heard before the results of the election as I have no guarantee of the outcome and can no longer sit on the sidelines waiting for this oppressive system to see me.

In order to access the services I need, EBSC must refer me to a private attorney who can represent me through a mandamus lawsuit to compel the government to act. Unfortunately, this creates a costly financial burden –$4,000 to be exact–and I’m seeking your support to help me access this essential resource to finally obtain a permanent residential status where I can continue my aspirations of education. Can you help me by making a donation?

Call To Action:

With your help, I can focus on finishing school and gain a sense of safety and security that is realized from having documentation. Thank you in advance for your donation and sharing this fundraiser. Your generosity will directly help me access stability, momentum, and longevity.