Margoth Erazo is a loving and hardworking Duke Housekeeper from Honduras who has been a member of the Duke community for 23 years. A loyal and kindhearted member of staff, Margoth has devoted her time to the University since 2002, working at the John Hope Franklin Center where she oversaw cleaning. In her free time, Margoth took care of co-workers' and professors' babies, tended to plants and flowers, and worked extra hours to provide greater economic security for her family.

Margoth lost her job at Duke on September 8, 2025 due to the Trump administration’s cancellation of TPS (Temporary Protected Status) for Honduran nationals. While TPS was temporarily reinstated from Dec 31 – Feb 9 by the ruling of a federal judge, a federal appeals court voided the overturning on February 9. This effectively terminated TPS once more for Hondurans, alongside Nicaraguan and Nepali nationals.

Margoth is a mother, a primary provider for her parents living in Honduras, and a joyful, dedicated member of our community who lost her work through no fault of her own. Having been out of work for over five months, we are raising money to ensure that Margoth can meet her basic needs while she fights for work, status, dignified living, and con esperanza, her position back within Duke Housekeeping.

--Thank you so much to Miguel Rojas Sotelo, PhD for contributing words to this testimony.

*UPDATED Feb 11, 2026 to reflect the renewed termination of TPS by a federal appeals court on Feb 9.