Gilberto was born in a rural town of Oaxaca, Mexico. He migrated to the U.S. in 2002, fleeing domestic violence with his mother. At birth, Gilberto was premature and had a low birth weight. Gilberto's mother noticed issues in his development starting at 4 months. As months progressed, Gilberto's developmental delays became more noticeable. Thus, upon arriving in Immokalee, FL, his teachers also had concerns regarding his development.

In 2002, he was able to receive medical and therapy services (i.e., speech, physical). His mother worked very hard to make sure Gilberto was successful. She bought him a tricycle to strengthen his legs and later walk. Although he has faced many barriers, he and his mother are resilient! Gilberto was even able to graduate from Immokalee High School in 2018.

However, due to Gilberto's limitations, his employment options are limited. Thus, he and his family have a junk removal business. But since his DACA is in the renewal process, he can no longer drive to do this work.

Additionally, he is facing legal issues due to his unlawful arrest that occurred on 04/08/2026.

On 04/08/2026 in Labelle, FL, Gilberto was on his property when a masked ICE agent entered his property without a warrant and detained Gilberto with the assistance of the Hendry County Sheriff's Office (HCSO).

HCSO then charged Gilberto with Resisting Arrest Without Violence, and he was in jail for 3 days. His attorney argued that, due to his mental impairments, Gilberto could not identify nor comprehend that he was being arrested. Furthermore, with the assistance of legal advocates, Gilberto was freed on Friday, April 10th!

At this moment, Gilberto needs financial support as he was physically hurt by law enforcement. Thus, he will be unable to work, which will impact his daily livelihood. His family is also struggling with leaving the home as Gilberto is showing signs of PTSD given his unlawful arrest. Can you stand with Gilberto and his family?