Support Sidibe's Fight for Freedom

My name is Kathleen Maynard, and I am reaching out to request your assistance as we try to raise funds for our family friend, Lansine Sidibe, who goes by Sidibe. We became good friends with Sidibe while living in the same neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Sidibe immigrated to Brazil to escape violence and specifically to flee violence against his ethnic group in Mali. In Brazil, Sidibe sold coconut water on the street near the park that we frequented with our children. His bright spirit, sense of humor, and strong work ethic always shined as we witnessed him working from dawn until dusk and beyond nearly every day. Sidibe developed friendships with many customers who frequented his coconut stand; he was thoughtful, remembered people's names, and always made time to cut open the coconut for kids like Cecilia and Maëlle who liked to eat the fruit inside—no matter how long the line of people waiting for coconut water. Over the years of conversations, we became friends with Sidibe; he came to our kids' birthday parties, went for walks, welcomed us into his home, and acted like an uncle to our kids while we were in Sao Paulo. We were aware that Sidibe faced threats on several occasions due to his race and that the police in Sao Paulo were unresponsive when he reported threats. After saving up over $1000 twice to apply for asylum in Canada and twice being denied, Sidibe decided to come to the United States. He crossed the border in July 2022.

Lansine Sidibe has been in the custody of ICE since July 2022, shortly after he crossed the border into the United States and was apprehended. Lansine Sidibe is from Mali. There is a civil war in Mali causing high rates of violence across the country. ICE attempted to deport Sidibe to Morocco in Spring 2024 while withholding his documents—Sidibe refused to cooperate with this, having no connection to Morocco and knowing he would be very vulnerable without any identification in that foreign land. ICE had stopped deportations to Mali due to the unrest, violence, and danger to civilians. Due to these conditions, Sidibe's entire family has fled Mali and is living in Liberia. ICE has repeatedly expressed to Sidibe that they would like to deport him despite the facts of his case—facing personal persecution related to his ethnicity if he were to return to Mali—align with asylum requirements as put forth by US Immigration Law.

Our family has offered to be Sidibe's sponsor here in the United States. Based on the recommendation of a lawyer in Portland, Maine, who had successfully argued the immigration case of a family member, we contacted and hired a private lawyer in Louisiana, where Sidibe was being held while awaiting proceedings. We contracted this lawyer to apply for Sidibe's release from the deportation center. Sidibe then was subject to the 'Credible Fear Interview,' a proceeding during which an ICE officer interviews the individual in custody and then determines whether the individual fled their country of origin based on 'credible fear.' He was deemed to have "failed" this assessment. Following the 'Credible Fear Interview,' Sidibe did share with us that the translation service was poor and he did not understand some of the questions being asked. Sidibe's first language is Bambara. Sidibe also speaks French and Portuguese. A French interpreter was provided during his 'Credible Fear Interview,' but his interview was marred by problems with the translation services—both technical and professional shortcomings. Sidibe noted after the interview that he could not understand the initial interpreter and the interpreter changed midway through the interview. Since 2022 (while in detention), Sidibe has studied and learned English, and during our recent phone calls, he has communicated clearly in English.

After failing to help Sidibe be released in Fall of 2022, the lawyer we retained went through a second appeal process during which Sidibe's 'Credible Fear Interview' decision was reviewed by a judge. Our lawyer later informed us that the judge who reviewed the case was extremely conservative and had a history of never changing a decision regarding a 'Credible Fear Interview.'

Over his years in detention, Sidibe has noted to us during phone calls that Black people in the detention center are not released at the same rate as white or brown people. He has repeatedly experienced discrimination, most horrifically in Spring of 2024 when at the end of a conversation with his ICE officer, he was asked to walk through a doorway into a separate room. As he approached the doorway, four officers pounced on him, binding his arms behind his back and using a technique to bend his fingers to induce excruciating pain. Sidibe lunged forward in response to this provocation and hit an officer with his head. After being attacked and provoked, Sidibe was issued a 'disciplinary charge' and placed in solitary confinement within the deportation center. We did not hear from him for six weeks as ICE decided arbitrarily to increase his solitary confinement term from 14 days to 40 days.

In Fall of 2023, I connected with a Human Rights Lawyer at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (a nonprofit in New York). The lawyer from RFK Human Rights interviewed Sidibe following his assault by the ICE officers in Spring of 2024, and she reported back to us that Sidibe had been brutally beaten by the officers and that this type of violence is commonly committed by ICE officers toward detainees who are resisting deportation. Don't forget, Sidibe is resisting deportation because he does not want to be deported to a country that his entire family has fled due to severe violence.

The lawyer at RFK Human Rights was able to file a complaint and apply for parole on Sidibe's behalf. However, the parole request was denied.

In September 2024, a good friend of Sidibe's family by the name of Amos Zleh contacted me regarding Sidibe's situation. Amos lives in the UK but is from Liberia, where his family's home neighbors the home that Sidibe's family moved to when they fled Mali. Amos has traveled to Liberia and contracted an International Human Rights Lawyer to provide evidence to the US Government of Sidibe's family's status as refugees. Amos is currently gathering documents to provide evidence to ICE officials on Sidibe's behalf. He will be traveling to the United States in late February to share these documents and again appeal Sidibe's case.

I am reaching out in hopes that you will donate money to cover the expenses that Sidibe's family and Amos Zleh are incurring as they go to extraordinary efforts to seek justice and freedom on Lansine Sidibe's behalf. The money we gather will help pay the legal costs and travel expenses incurred as Amos assembles documents and travels to the US. Our goal is for Sidibe to be released so that he can live, work, and participate in our society. Sidibe came here with a strong spirit, a desire to learn, and a strong work ethic—in search of a better life! His spirit is so strong, it cannot be broken. Please consider donating $10, $25, $50, or whatever you can afford to help Sidibe's family facilitate his release.

Thank you for your time and consideration.