DAVID & BYRON
In May of 2018, David and his 8-year-old son, Byron, traveled from a rural area of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala to the United Sates seeking protection from violence. Their difficult journey to the southern border had taken 15 days. After 4 days in detention, Byron was separated from his father by immigration authorities and placed in detention separated from his family and from the outside world.
MIGUEL
16 year-old Miguel has been in a shelter in the United States since October 19, 2017. Over a year ago! Miguel and his father Domingo left their village in October 2017 hoping to arrive to the United States and start a new life here. They traveled for 9 days before they arrived to the southern border. As soon as they crossed the border, they turned themselves in. They spent 2 days in the ice box before being separated.
ARABELLA
Arabella is a 12 year old girl who is being held in detention in Corpus Christi, TX since May 19, 2018. Her father was illegally and wrongfully deported without her shortly after their detention. Armando made his way back after his deportation and was re-arrested. He has been held in detention at Port Isabel, TX since July 27, 2018. We are fighting to reunite Arabella with her father in the United States and will litigate both of their asylum cases so that they may remain in the United States.
JUANA
Juana is one of our success stories. She is an 8 year old child whose native tongue is Q’anjob’al, a Mayan dialect. She was held in detention for 5 months before we were able to gain her release. We flew her to Guatemala City to be reunited with her family. Juana's family lives in grinding poverty in the Mayan highlands, and desperately needs our help.
FRANK
Frank is a 10-year-old boy who was held at the Shiloh Treatment Center in Marvel, Texas, outside of Houston, until his deportation to Guatemala on December 14, 2018. Shiloh Treatment Center is shelter for disturbed children. He was subjected to psychotropic drugs and appeared to be severely damaged by the separation from his father who was deported without him shortly after their separation. We intend to pursue Shiloh and the government for payment of Frank’s long-term care. Although Frank is back with his family in Guatemala, he is still suffering the consequences of the trauma endured by the separation from his dad since February 8, 2018 and he continues to take psychiatric medications that his family have to provide for him.
BYRON EZEQUIEL
Byron Ezequiel is an 8 year old boy who has been in detention for 5 months. His father was deported without him shortly after their separation in May of 2018. We are in the process of gaining Byron Ezequiel’s release and returning him to his family in Guatemala and seek funds to cover the expenses of his reunification with his family.
EDY
Edy is a 9 year old Mayan child who has learned Spanish during the 5 months of his detention in Baytown, TX, outside of Houston. We are in the process of freeing Edy and will be flying him to Guatemala City to return him to his family. We are seeking donations to cover the costs of his repatriation and reintegration.
