On behalf of Migrant Support Collective, thank you so much for supporting LGBTQ+ migrants in ICE detention through your generous donations to Share Plate. Here are a few of the things you made possible:
1. You helped get someone out of detention: When L. joined Migrant Support Collective, he was in solitary confinement in ICE detention. In his own words: “Even though [my abuser] withdrew the charges [that resulted in my imprisonment]…I spent 7 months in prison, where I was sexually assaulted and raped. When my sentence was up, they informed me that I had been ordered detained by ICE, even though the judge had ruled me innocent. I was transferred to Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center, where I haven’t received adequate medical attention from the sexual violence I suffered.” Thanks to your support, MSC was able to help get L. free by writing letters of support; securing housing and case management; and funding transportation to his new home in Chicago. And now that L. is free, he’s working with us to make sure that what happened to him never happens to anyone else.
2. You helped someone get through the trauma of being detained: Estefany loves reading romance novels and drawing vibrant, dreamy landscapes. But in ICE detention, books and art supplies are hard to come by. And on top of being detained, she's been in solitary confinement for 20+ hours a day - solely due to her gender identity - with nothing to do but worry about her immigration case. Thanks to you, she's been able to pass that time creating art to share with her community.
3. You helped someone know they aren't alone: In the words of Carlos, a formerly detained migrant we sent books to: "A lot of people don’t understand how a book can make a difference to someone inside. They don’t know the hardship of just being in here. Receiving a book and knowing there are people out there that really care for other people, it just makes you feel special. It makes you feel like everything’s going to be better." Carlos is an openly gay man from Latin America who dreams of getting married and having two kids of his own one day - what he calls his "American dream."
4. You brought over 100 people together: On October 24th, at Center on Halsted, over 100 people came together to see the art and hear the stories of LGBTQ+ migrants who have been detained. We're happy to share that we had a great turnout of around 100 people at our final event, including a member who we recently helped get released from detention and helped relocate to Chicago. He's now living in a wonderfully affirming home with other LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, and it was so heartwarming to see him at the event showing the art he'd created while detained, as part of MSC's programming. You can view the art that folks in detention created through MSC's programming here.
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