Sanctuary DMV raises funds to support the legal cases of community members who have been taken by ICE. Donate to Sanctuary DMV on our PayPal. You can also Venmo us @SanctuaryDMV.

We are an all-volunteer group with no staff and almost no overhead costs so nearly 100% of donations go to legal defense & support funds for detained community members. A small portion of donations go to logistical costs like printing ICE hotline cards, translators & food for public events.

We also periodically raise funds for individual community members. Learn about our current fundraisers below, and please give if you can. Thank you for your support!

Who We Support:

Help Keep Maria* and Her Kids in Their Home

Please donate to help Maria* and her children stay in their home. Maria is a longtime member of our community, and she needs our support. Originally from Central America, she and her three young children have worked, played, and built community in the DMV for years. After a devastating year and half of the pandemic–during which Maria has not been able to find work–she and her three young children are facing eviction. After months of waiting on her application for rent support from the county to be processed, she was recently denied relief and now owes several months of back rent and cannot pay it on her own. She is looking for work constantly but simply cannot make ends meet, and she and her children are at risk of losing their home. Please give as generously as you can.

*Name changed out of concern for privacy.

Support Rosalinda & Josue through COVID-19

Please donate to help support Rosalinda*, Josue* and their two children through COVID-19. They are among the many local families ICE has callously torn apart in the middle of this deadly pandemic. Josue was detained at a routine check-in and sent to Worcester County Detention Center in Maryland. Soon after, COVID-19 broke out in the state (including at the detention center) and put Rosalinda out of work. Thanks to Rosalinda and Josue’s tireless efforts, Josue was able to get bond and come home but the family accumulated massive debt in the process and are still fighting his immigration case. Their situation is a heartbreaking example of how our cruel immigration system and the unconscionable lack of government support for undocumented folks is colliding during this crisis. Please donate to the GoFundMe to help the family gain some security during this perilous time.

*Names changed for privacy

Help Johnny Come Home: Funds Raised!

Thank you for supporting our effort to bring Johnny home! Johnny exposed escalating abuses at ICA-Farmville where he is detained in the middle of a rapidly spiking COVID breakout. When guards retaliated against those protesting the dire lack of medical care, Johnny risked likely retaliation to advocate for the people in need of medical help and exposed the violent retaliation by guards to the media. Johnny was just granted release on bond but like most people facing the racist and financially discriminatory bond system, he can’t pay the massive fee. Update: Johnny is out and fees are covered!

Keep Prerna* Safe: Funds Raised!

prerna-gofundme

Please donate to help keep Prerna*, a South Asian community elder, safe through COVID-19. Prerna’s husband Kamal* was detained when the company he worked for outrageously called ICE to his home to avoid paying him owed wages. Kamal, who is also elderly, now sits in immigrant detention facing the dire threat of COVID-19 as the virus spreads throughout area detention centers. As Kamal was the family’s primary wage earner, Prerna was evicted from their home. They have no friends or family in this country to help support them. Please donate to the GoFundMe to help Prerna fund a temporary place to shelter in as the couple fight to get Kamal released from detention.

*Names changed out of concern for privacy and fear of retaliation.

Bring Pedro* Home: Funds Raised!

Bring Pedro Home Pedro was deported after 15 years of living and working in the DC-area. He was taken from his Virginia home after a traffic accident. He opened the door thinking it was police only to be detained by ICE and deported. His wife Alma* and three children now face housing instability and mounting legal fees as they seek a way to bring him back home where he belongs. Pedro is known by his friends, family, colleagues, and church community as a kind, patient man who does his best to support and guide his children, and always helped community members who faced trouble. Deportation has devastating, cascading effects on those deported, their families and larger communities. “Hello, I’m Pedro’s wife. My children and I want to thank you for all of your help. Thank you because even though you don’t know us, you have supported us. Thank you for having such big hearts, may God bless you”

*Name changed out of concern for privacy and fear of retaliation.

Thomas*: Funds Raised!

Please donate to help Thomas* fight deportation to a country where his life is in serious danger. After 30 years in the DMV, Thomas was detained at a recent ICE check-in and now sits in detention far from his family. He is active in the politics of his country of origin, hoping from afar to help the country transition away from a dictatorship. He faces likely retribution if deported as others who have vocally opposed the dictatorship from abroad have faced torture and death.

Thomas hasn’t lived in this country since he was a child and has no family or home there. Here in the DMV, he is the loving father of two children, one of whom he is supporting through college, and he is an integral part of his community. He is an active member of his church, and regularly welcomes other immigrants to the United States by taking them into his home, helping them navigate complex new systems, and supporting them to build community. Please help a community member who fights for the freedom and safety of others stay home by donating to his GoFundMe.

*Name changed & details omitted due to fear of likely retribution.

Javier*: Funds raised!

Our neighbor Javier* was arrested in the July 2018 ICE raids that devastated our DC community. He has been a DC resident for over a decade and is a loving husband and father of two young children who depend on him for financial support. Javier* was detained for nearly two months as his family, community, and counsel fought for his just release. On top of seeking to deport him, the government also sought criminal prosecution against him for entering the country. Javier is currently fighting for his right to remain with his family and is fearful of his safety should he be deported, but he can’t afford the expensive attorney fees. Please donate to his legal fees GoFundMe here. Your donations helped raise emergency funds for legal fees and support funds for his family several times. He is unfortunately still navigating his immigration case. We’ll update you if there are any further actions to take.

*Name changed out of concern for privacy and retaliation

Bartegan: Funds Raised!

sanctuary-dmv-bartegan Our friend Bartegan came to the US with his family when he was five years old. In 2018, Bartegan was convicted of a minor weed violation, and even though he served his 15-day prison sentence, ICE detained him upon release and began deportation proceedings against him. The good news: after a hard fight in which 10 of our volunteers accompanied him to his last hearing, Bartegan received a stay of deportation in December and was able to spend the holidays at home with his family, but Bartegan still needs your support.

Bartegan’s mother is saddled with thousands of dollars in debt fighting his emergency immigration case. Bartegan should never have been facing deportation because of a minor violation; Bartegan is one of the many immigrants caught up in our unjust and racist criminal legal and immigration systems. He shouldn’t face these terrible systems alone. Thanks to your generous donations, the needed funds for Bartegan’s legal fees were raised! Thank you for showing up for your community.

Jose Sanchez: Funds Raised!

Jose Sanchez was one of the people taken during ICE’s July raids in Mt. Pleasant, Columbia Heights and Petworth. He’s lived in DC for over 10 years and is about to get married to Susan (pictured above), his US citizen partner who is currently pregnant. Right now, Jose is in detention awaiting his next immigration court date. We’re working with Jose and Susan to get him returned home, but they need quite a bit of money they don’t have to cover their legal fees, especially since Susan’s bank account was frozen after Jose was detained. Thanks to your generous donations, the funds needed for Jose’s legal fees were raised! However, Jose and Susan are still navigating the detention system. We will update you if there are any more actions you can take on Jose’s behalf.