Support for Mabel Gonzales
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SUPPORT FOR MABEL GONZALES
Mabel Gonzales is a mother currently detained at El Paso. Mabel was arrested while legally claiming asylum and then separated from her children.
She has been in detention since September 2017 and has become an advocate and organizer for the other women detained with her. Mabel has worked tirelessly to document these women's cases, as well as the names and ages of the children who were taken from them. She passes these details on to legal teams who are now working to reunite these families.
LET'S SHOW MABEL THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE WHO HAVE HER BACK AND SUPPORT HER IN THE SAME WAY THAT SHE HAS SUPPORTED THE WOMEN DETAINED WITH HER.
100% OF THE FUNDS will go towards Mabel's legal battle and so that she may set up a new life for herself and her sons once she is released.
If Mabel gets parole our funds will cover expenses related to her release and transport from El Paso to the state where her children are. We will be paying for her accommodation, food, cell phone, and other expenses. We wish to provide her with support to attend appointments and reunite with her family.
If the worst happens and Mabel is deported back to Honduras (where she has death threats hanging over her) she will not be taking her children with her and would like them to continue on in the US, in safety. Financial support for her children might be one tiny step in making this less terrible for a mother being forced to leave her children for their own safety.
Mabel Gonzales fled Honduras after a criminal syndicate murdered six of her family members, including two of her brothers. Mabel testified against the gang members leading to their prosecution but putting her own life in danger.
- To read more on Mabel's story and her work advocating for the other women in detention please read the New Yorker article: "The Courageous Woman Who Is Organizing Separated Mothers Inside an ICE Detention Center"
https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-courageous-woman-who-is-organizing-separated-mothers-inside-an-ice-detention-center
"...Over the next few weeks, Gonzales gradually compiled the entries in a clean script, on lined paper. Each woman’s name was listed, followed by her detainee number, country of origin, and cell-block number. Below every name was a note about the identity and age of the woman’s children. “I came here thinking I was going to see my children,” Gonzales told me. “That’s what I was told, and the other mothers thought so, too. Everyone thought that. It was a lie. I finally realized that no one was going to help us find our kids. We’d have to do it on our own.”"
- Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center is representing Mabel Gonzales' legal case and you can read more about their work here: http://las-americas.org
WHO WE ARE:
This fundraiser is organized by a group of parents and concerned citizens who don't support the current separation policy. We are not related to Mabel or her attorney but after reading the article about her we felt compelled to do our part to help Mabel in this difficult time.
We are inspired by the work of Immigrant Families Together the NY group who have successfully bonded and reunited 8 families (so far!) through crowdfunding and volunteering. And we are working with them as we replicate their model of grassroots action in order to help bring parents back to their children across the country as quickly as possible.
*EDIT & UPDATE (07/20/18):
Mabel's campaign is run solely by volunteers. We are now organized as IMMIGRANT FAMILIES TOGETHER - CALIFORNIA . And we are pleased to announce that we are running our fundraising and reunification campaigns in partnership with MIRY'S LIST, an established LA-based non-profit with a wealth of experience in refugee resettlement.
ABOUT MIRY'S LIST: Miry's List is a movement of neighbors and friends dedicated to welcoming new arrival refugee families into our community through inspired crowdsourcing solutions.
https://miryslist.org
ABOUT IFT CALIFORNIA: We are the West Coast branch of Immigrant Families Together, a network of Americans committed to rapid response unification of families separated by the 'zero tolerance' policy.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/iftca
HOW WILL WE BE HANDLING THE FUNDS
We will withdraw all donated funds to Miry's List (our partner non-profit). Miry's List will then pass the funds onto Mabel's attorney at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center. They will then be transferred to Mabel, or her children, by her attorney. Expenses to be paid include: Expenses related to release, transportation from El Paso, Texas, lodging, food, local transportation, cell-phone, and other expenses Mabel may incur as part of her reunification, including but not limited to costs of preparing for her court appearances (copies of documents, etc).
Mabel Gonzales is a mother currently detained at El Paso. Mabel was arrested while legally claiming asylum and then separated from her children.
She has been in detention since September 2017 and has become an advocate and organizer for the other women detained with her. Mabel has worked tirelessly to document these women's cases, as well as the names and ages of the children who were taken from them. She passes these details on to legal teams who are now working to reunite these families.
LET'S SHOW MABEL THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE WHO HAVE HER BACK AND SUPPORT HER IN THE SAME WAY THAT SHE HAS SUPPORTED THE WOMEN DETAINED WITH HER.
100% OF THE FUNDS will go towards Mabel's legal battle and so that she may set up a new life for herself and her sons once she is released.
If Mabel gets parole our funds will cover expenses related to her release and transport from El Paso to the state where her children are. We will be paying for her accommodation, food, cell phone, and other expenses. We wish to provide her with support to attend appointments and reunite with her family.
If the worst happens and Mabel is deported back to Honduras (where she has death threats hanging over her) she will not be taking her children with her and would like them to continue on in the US, in safety. Financial support for her children might be one tiny step in making this less terrible for a mother being forced to leave her children for their own safety.
Mabel Gonzales fled Honduras after a criminal syndicate murdered six of her family members, including two of her brothers. Mabel testified against the gang members leading to their prosecution but putting her own life in danger.
- To read more on Mabel's story and her work advocating for the other women in detention please read the New Yorker article: "The Courageous Woman Who Is Organizing Separated Mothers Inside an ICE Detention Center"
https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-courageous-woman-who-is-organizing-separated-mothers-inside-an-ice-detention-center
"...Over the next few weeks, Gonzales gradually compiled the entries in a clean script, on lined paper. Each woman’s name was listed, followed by her detainee number, country of origin, and cell-block number. Below every name was a note about the identity and age of the woman’s children. “I came here thinking I was going to see my children,” Gonzales told me. “That’s what I was told, and the other mothers thought so, too. Everyone thought that. It was a lie. I finally realized that no one was going to help us find our kids. We’d have to do it on our own.”"
- Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center is representing Mabel Gonzales' legal case and you can read more about their work here: http://las-americas.org
WHO WE ARE:
This fundraiser is organized by a group of parents and concerned citizens who don't support the current separation policy. We are not related to Mabel or her attorney but after reading the article about her we felt compelled to do our part to help Mabel in this difficult time.
We are inspired by the work of Immigrant Families Together the NY group who have successfully bonded and reunited 8 families (so far!) through crowdfunding and volunteering. And we are working with them as we replicate their model of grassroots action in order to help bring parents back to their children across the country as quickly as possible.
*EDIT & UPDATE (07/20/18):
Mabel's campaign is run solely by volunteers. We are now organized as IMMIGRANT FAMILIES TOGETHER - CALIFORNIA . And we are pleased to announce that we are running our fundraising and reunification campaigns in partnership with MIRY'S LIST, an established LA-based non-profit with a wealth of experience in refugee resettlement.
ABOUT MIRY'S LIST: Miry's List is a movement of neighbors and friends dedicated to welcoming new arrival refugee families into our community through inspired crowdsourcing solutions.
https://miryslist.org
ABOUT IFT CALIFORNIA: We are the West Coast branch of Immigrant Families Together, a network of Americans committed to rapid response unification of families separated by the 'zero tolerance' policy.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/iftca
HOW WILL WE BE HANDLING THE FUNDS
We will withdraw all donated funds to Miry's List (our partner non-profit). Miry's List will then pass the funds onto Mabel's attorney at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center. They will then be transferred to Mabel, or her children, by her attorney. Expenses to be paid include: Expenses related to release, transportation from El Paso, Texas, lodging, food, local transportation, cell-phone, and other expenses Mabel may incur as part of her reunification, including but not limited to costs of preparing for her court appearances (copies of documents, etc).
Organizer
Chloë De Carvalho
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA