Support Maria & Flor

***CAMPAIGN CONCLUDED!  <3<3.  Please see our final update.***

Maria, 23, was separated from her niece Flor, whom she has raised as a daughter, the day that the little girl turned 6. She's from Guatemala, where their entire family was targeted by gangs.  Flor is the only surviving member of Maria's family.  Together, the two of them traveled north to escape further violence, and applied for refugee status at the American border in early 2019.

Even though they applied legally at a port of entry, Maria was immediately separated from Flor.  Flor is, biologically, Maria's niece, though Maria has raised her since infancy after the murder of her mother.  Flor is currently in foster care in New York City.  Maria has not seen her in nearly a year.  Flor calls her, asking to be picked up; Maria remains helpless, trapped in detention.  Her case was delayed when she contracted tuberculosis, and then it was denied altogether - gang violence and domestic violence cases have become dramatically harder to receive refugee status these last three years, and it's growing rarer and rarer for judges to approve even the most dire of cases.

Maria is currently in the midst of an appeal. Her parole - her ability to reunite with her small child as she awaits the outcome of her case - was just denied in a form letter.  This is despite more than 220 faith leaders cosigning a plea for her freedom, as well as some two dozen Arizona State representatives.  Maria also has an offer of stable housing while she awaits parole, and a network of allies organizing to help support her as she fights within the US legal system for her own safety and the safety of Flor.  Yet all of this, apparently, is not enough.

The process of her appeal may take years.  If she chooses to accept deportation instead, it remains unclear whether the US will return her child to her.  Her child, she has stated, is her main reason to live now.

This GoFundMe was created by Maria's allies in the legal community, the faith community, and beyond.  We are an international group of volunteers, including her sponsors, allies near Eloy, and members of the faith community.

We are asking you to do two things: to raise money to support Maria no matter what she decides, and to spread the word of her story.  She is a remarkable young woman who has learned to read and write in detention despite enduring unspeakable trauma: the murder of her family, the separation from her child, and the violence of detention, where she is housed in close quarters with many women and fed potatoes, sometimes still frozen, for nearly every meal.  She deserves to be lifted up when she is finally freed from her prison and reunited with Flor, to be reminded that there are people in the world that love and support her, and to know that there is an easier path for her than the one that she has walked now for so long.

Your money will go directly to Maria and Flor in support of meals, transit, housing, and schooling as they navigate this process.  Note: Maria does not currently have any bank accounts.  Withdrawals are set up to go to Rachel Hamburg, who organized this GoFundMe, and Rachel will transfer them to Maria via a trusted friend once she is able to receive them.

If you would like to read more about her story, this article in the Guardian is one of the most recent and best summaries of what's happening.  https://bit.ly/39awCQi