Help Belín survive immigration nightmare
Donation protected
I'm helping my friend Belin as he prepares to leave federal prison, where he has spent the last year and a half for the sole "crime" of attempting to work to help support his family. Belin comes from rural Honduras. He, like everyone he knows, had to start working after primary school just to survive. His younger brother was murdered by gang members and his family threatened. With no resources, he made the journey north on his own, working his way up through Mexico. When he attempted to cross the Rio Grande, his guide--after receiving the stipulated payment--kidnapped him and demanded $8,000 ransom or he would be killed. He called in loans from everyone he knew and was able to escape, only to be intercepted directly by ICE at the border. In all this time, he has been shuttled between ICE detention, private prisons, and now a federal prison where he is housed with murderers and rapists. While he was incarcerated, his parents' home in Honduras was destroyed by flooding. His only goal upon his upcoming release in early 2023 is to be able to work: to repay the loans he had to take out to pay his own ransom, to help his sisters and parents, and to support himself. I am working with Belin to try to help him get access to a microloan that he could use to open a modest bodega. Any financial contribution is greatly appreciated.
Organizer
Dale Shuger
Organizer
New Orleans, LA