My name is Akwaeke Emezi and I’m organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my dear friend Orlando and his husband David. I’ve known Orlando for seven years, since I first moved to New Orleans—he's a warm, generous person with an enormous heart, and a cherished member of our community. 

 

After several years and thousands of dollars, Orlando’s immigration battle is at a terrifying point. He's currently employed on a work permit and has been waiting for his permanent residency to be processed, but the current state of the US means that he leaves home for work each day not knowing if he'll make it safely back to his husband. 

On February 3 this year, I woke up to several quietly devastated messages from Orlando. Their home had burned to the ground at 2AM that morning—he and David woke up to the sound of their kitchen window exploding and they immediately grabbed their little dog, Dracu, barely making it out of the house with their lives. 

A few weeks later in March, Orlando received a letter from DHS ordering him to leave the US and imposing a penalty of 1.8 million (!!!) dollars for an immigration issue that had already been legally resolved and discharged. He filed an appeal, but we just found out that it was denied and now his lawyers are saying there’s nothing more they can do. 

We are asking for your support in helping Orlando seek safety from the vicious threat of ICE and DHS, especially as a gay man, and so he and David can start over after losing their home. Please consider donating what you can—no amount is too small—and please share widely! Thank you so much for your solidarity.