Update on Local Immigrant Detentions and ICE Action

From Liza Tregillus, Apoyo Immigrant Partner Team:

I just talked with Estella, whose husband and two children were in detention for six weeks and had self deported in early December. I had not shared about Estella for safety reasons, but she shared today that word is already out that she is back in Columbia (she wanted to be reunited with her husband and children). She has shared several videos of armed surveillance and has had to move repeatedly to be safe; there is a reason she was in process for asylum here. Hickenlooper was asked to reach out to Canada to accept them for asylum, but no outcome on that yet. For now, she is grateful to all the support she had here and is relieved to be reunited with her husband and two children.

Jorge Ortiz is reunited with his four girls, their passports finally processed and they immediately travelled to be with their father in Mexico! He is still working with his lawyer; his twin brother is out on bond and both of them have been in Durango for over 20 years. Jorge was detained and deported unfairly, but for now he is happy to be with his daughters as well as his new baby son, also Jorge!

Our Columbian parents and their five year old did get a ride from a volunteer to San Francisco, where they got what they needed from the Colombian embassy. They are very grateful for all the help from Apoyo to get into better housing and get furniture, and some funds were donated for this trip which is also HUGELY appreciated. Senator Bennet helped them to get an appointment with the consulate, and Apoyo folks helped with funding and a place to stay.

The Columbian mom who needed a ride to Pagosa for her in person driver's test got that done as well, thank you Lynn Griffith! The mom passed and will have her drivers license.

Thank you to one of our team members who has provided safe housing for a family member who needed it, and to another team member who has been providing safe transportation to school for her. I hope we can do what we can to prevent removals, so thank you for your help! Along those lines, thank you Lisa Owens for helping a mom make progress on getting documents needed for her citizen children to get passports.

ICE action seemed to have slowed, but picked up recently with a dad from Durango and a woman from Mancos having been removed. I spoke with the Durango family, who I knew from when they had their older son 20 years ago, and offered support from our emergency fund. They were already in process for their parents to adjust status when their citizen son turns 21 in March, but now it will take money to fight for bond as he is detained in Aurora despite not being a flight risk. This is a wonderful family who also have a citizen teenage daughter, please check the link below to help:

Help Pay for Pedro's Legal Process