"We had 10 days to pack up our American lives and leave..."

"We had 10 days to pack up our American lives and leave, or be arrested."

The lives of Gian Barbosa&Fernanda Alcantara and their two children, Gabriel and Giovana, have imploded. Over the last decade, both parents, exceptionally bright and hardworking, created great lives and opportunities for their children in the U.S. They secured SS#s, work and travel permits, and are pursuing Naturalization with legal representation.

Typically, being in the pipeline for Naturalization would protect them from ICE. No more. The current regime is pushing out folks to their countries of origin to continue the legal process from afar.

In the meantime, Gabe and Gigi, scholarship recipients at De La Salle and St. Mary's Walnut Creek, are not in school and are on a plane headed to a country of which they have little or no memory. Ironic that for Gabe's school trip to DC last Spring he was the student chosen to lay a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier.

Our country, the U.S., which was built by hardworking immigrants like Gian and Fernanda, is worse off without their skills, positive energy and character.

They boarded a plane today with 12 duffle bags of their "American life." They literally had to walk away from two businesses, a household of furnishings, work vehicles, and tools.

Our efforts to raise money on their behalf will fund:

1. Costs associated with establishing a new life abroad, starting from scratch, and getting their kids into good, new schools.

2. Their ongoing legal fight to win Naturalization.

Who are we? A Community of people who have come to know and love Gian and Fernanda and their family.

Please share.