Keeping Gabriel Lara's Family Together
Donation protected
As some of you may know, my parents and I spent a week in Israel from January 10th - 17th. It was a trip of a lifetime where we learned so much about the conflict and complexities happening there. It was such a beautiful experience to travel internationally with my parents and be there with my dad as he experienced a place he dreamed of going to, but thought would never happen.
Unfortunately, after we arrived at LAX, my dad was detained at border security for 7 hours. My mom and I didn’t know where he was until 2.5 hours in and we couldn’t get ahold of him because they took his electronics away. We were so panicked and unsure what to do for a long while. During that time, they had my dad sign a stack of documents and took his green card away. He was then given a temporary 1-year card until his immigration hearing.
It’s been a tough few weeks since this happened, but my family has been all hands on deck to figure out next steps to get my dad’s residency back. My dad and I have met with countless lawyers to get all the information we need to move forward and after hearing similar recommendations, we feel pretty certain about the steps we are taking.
From what we know now, the reason border patrol was able to easily take away his residency away was because of a 20-year-old felony on his record. This felony charge needs to be reduced or removed from his record in order to reverse his impending deportation. For this, he will need a criminal defense lawyer and an immigration lawyer. The total cost of the fees will be around $20,000 for both cases, which we alone can not afford. I’ve created this account to hopefully get some financial assistance with all the legal fees we will be dealing with very soon. More immediately, we will need a $3,000 deposit to get the case started as soon as possible.
My dad came here at 16 years old to support his family in Mexico and has been a working member of society ever since. He went to school to learn English, got his residency in 1990, and married my mother, Anna. He was an honors student back in Sinaloa with high hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, addiction did take some years of his life, but after that felony charge in 2001, my dad decided it was time for a change. He has now been sober for 18 years and throughout this rehabilitation process, he found it especially fulfilling to go to church and learn the Word of God. He began taking Theology classes in 2005, while working full-time as a customer service representative at Home Depot. Seven years later, he graduated as a Pastor and he opened a Hispanic Christian Baptist church in Lompoc in 2013. As a Pastor, he holds Sunday services, visits homes for the elderly, and conducts yearly mission trips to Ensenada, Tijuana, and Sinaloa where he gives gifts to children and anyone in need.
My dad has been here for 34 years and really deserves to stay here. He is a kind-hearted, generous, and loving person who gives back to his community everyday. He is a tenaciously hard worker and our family and friends love him dearly. He has 6 kids and 6 grandkids who would love to keep him close.
Thank you to everyone who has already been so supportive and helpful throughout this process. We wouldn’t be able to get through this without you all. Please send all your good thoughts and prayers our way! If you or anyone you know can support my family, we would really really appreciate it.
Unfortunately, after we arrived at LAX, my dad was detained at border security for 7 hours. My mom and I didn’t know where he was until 2.5 hours in and we couldn’t get ahold of him because they took his electronics away. We were so panicked and unsure what to do for a long while. During that time, they had my dad sign a stack of documents and took his green card away. He was then given a temporary 1-year card until his immigration hearing.
It’s been a tough few weeks since this happened, but my family has been all hands on deck to figure out next steps to get my dad’s residency back. My dad and I have met with countless lawyers to get all the information we need to move forward and after hearing similar recommendations, we feel pretty certain about the steps we are taking.
From what we know now, the reason border patrol was able to easily take away his residency away was because of a 20-year-old felony on his record. This felony charge needs to be reduced or removed from his record in order to reverse his impending deportation. For this, he will need a criminal defense lawyer and an immigration lawyer. The total cost of the fees will be around $20,000 for both cases, which we alone can not afford. I’ve created this account to hopefully get some financial assistance with all the legal fees we will be dealing with very soon. More immediately, we will need a $3,000 deposit to get the case started as soon as possible.
My dad came here at 16 years old to support his family in Mexico and has been a working member of society ever since. He went to school to learn English, got his residency in 1990, and married my mother, Anna. He was an honors student back in Sinaloa with high hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, addiction did take some years of his life, but after that felony charge in 2001, my dad decided it was time for a change. He has now been sober for 18 years and throughout this rehabilitation process, he found it especially fulfilling to go to church and learn the Word of God. He began taking Theology classes in 2005, while working full-time as a customer service representative at Home Depot. Seven years later, he graduated as a Pastor and he opened a Hispanic Christian Baptist church in Lompoc in 2013. As a Pastor, he holds Sunday services, visits homes for the elderly, and conducts yearly mission trips to Ensenada, Tijuana, and Sinaloa where he gives gifts to children and anyone in need.
My dad has been here for 34 years and really deserves to stay here. He is a kind-hearted, generous, and loving person who gives back to his community everyday. He is a tenaciously hard worker and our family and friends love him dearly. He has 6 kids and 6 grandkids who would love to keep him close.
Thank you to everyone who has already been so supportive and helpful throughout this process. We wouldn’t be able to get through this without you all. Please send all your good thoughts and prayers our way! If you or anyone you know can support my family, we would really really appreciate it.
Organizer
Yesenia Marie Lara
Organizer
Lompoc, CA
