Support for Reuniting Children with Deported Mother

Dear Community,

My name is Jesús Ruiz, and I am a community organizer in Santa Clara County. I’m reaching out with a heavy heart to share the story of a local family in crisis and to ask for your support.

On April 17th, a mother from East Palo Alto was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine check-in. Just days later, she was deported to her home country. At the time of her arrest, her two young children were at school. Since then, they have been in the care of their elderly grandmother. While she has done everything she can to support them, her age and health make it impossible for her to care for them long-term. The family is now making arrangements to reunite the children with their mother.

This is, tragically, just one of many stories like it — stories of families torn apart by a broken immigration system. With the blessing of the mother and grandmother, we are sharing this fundraiser to help cover the costs of safely reuniting the family.

They have asked us not to share any photos to protect their privacy, and we are honoring that request.

Every contribution — no matter the size — will help this mother and her children be together again. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your compassion and support.

In solidarity,
Jesús Ruiz