This fundraiser is just one branch of the "Housing Not Detention - Vivienda No Detención" Campaign ran by Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND) aimed at aligning migrants’ rights groups, organizers, & community members while simultaneously advocating for policies & actions with the desired outcome of ending private immigrant detention on an abolitionist basis. “El Pueblo Unido Jamás Sera Vencido!” You have chanted it on the streets, your balcony, a local bar, or your car, now it’s time to step into community & show our leaders what community power looks like.

WHY NOW:

All around us, we are seeing signs of despair as communities are ripped apart at higher rates. New policies arise & old laws are enacted to the utmost harshest level, resulting in more & more innocent people being taken from their families & held in for-profit immigrant detention centers like GEO in Aurora. This sort of racist & xenophobic treatment towards migrants has gone on for ages, & the only proven strategy to rise above these dark times has been to unite our communities & stand up for our most vulnerable members.

The City & County of Denver denied pleas from families, advocates, & community members to amend the Proposed FY 2026 budget to include allocation of funds for a 280+ family shelter. Refusing to accept an issue does not make it disappear. As we keep fighting for City accountability, community must step in to address this growing crisis.

Immigrant detention centers like GEO Aurora ICE Processing Center exponentially increase the need for housing in our communities. These detention centers are owned and operated by private for-profit businesses, the largest of them being GEO Group and CoreCivic. They destroy communities and tear families apart by criminalizing and detaining people simply based on citizenship.

Now under the current administration, even those with legal status - green card holders, VISA holders, even legal permanent residents - are being disappeared. To date, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Colorado has detained an average daily population of 1,146 of your neighbors. Neighbors like a father of a family of 3 (11yo, 6yo, 11mo) whose wife contacted HAND, stating she has not heard from him in 2 months. They’ve found themselves facing eviction. Their story is one of many that HAND is supporting with these funds, including several already at-risk families who have taken in children of deported family members.

WHY HOUSING ASSISTANCE:

The housing assistance element is a critical part of the equation because we are seeing a pipeline being enforced where, at the moment, men who tend to be the breadwinners in their families are being detained, leaving their partners & children in housing that they are no longer able to afford. More & more mothers with young children are left without options & can end up:

Some attempt to move, but then they are further separated from their loved one who is detained, & there are no better supports for them in other cities, states, or anywhere in this country as they continue to hide, resulting in so much instability in their lives, & kids missing out on getting an education. By advocating for families to stay together in affordable housing, we prevent children from being on the streets, lessen the pressure on already over-capacity family shelters, & support longterm, sustainable solutions for these vulnerable families to remain active & valuable members of our community.

HAND has been visiting detainees & their families & has an ever-growing list of those in need of our help at this very moment. We are asking you to help your community by committing to a monthly donation - as little as $10 per month helps keep little ones of the streets. Otherwise, please contribute whatever you can as often as you can to support these at-risk families, & reach out to get involved in other ways.

If you ever wondered what you'd be doing if it were your neighbors being disappeared... Here is your chance.