K* is a 34 year old woman from Nigeria. She identifies as a lesbian, but Nigeria has several anti-LGBT laws that put her in danger. She was forced to marry, and in the marriages she endured ongoing domestic abuse, which took the life of her young son. She became pregnant again afterwards, but then suffered a beating that caused the death of her unborn child. In early 2017, she fled her country to save her own life, escaping persecution and her abuser.
She stayed at a church until attempting to claim asylum at the U.S.-Canada border, where she was handcuffed and detained. Even though she has never committed a crime, and did what she had to in order to survive, she has not been free for an entire year.
K is a warm and friendly person, and a person of faith. She loves to read, and previously studied management. She is particularly interested in conflict resolution. Her dream is to live and work in the United States, and go back to school for business management.
K has experienced extreme hardship over the course of her life so far. She was one of 7 children. She has 3 sisters who still live in Nigeria, but her 3 brothers all died of illnesses within the past 10 years. Her mother also died two years ago, which was a hard blow to her spirit. After the loss of her children, she knew that her own life was in danger.
K is currently in ICE detention in western New York. She has been granted an administrative bond of $10,000, an average amount in this area. K has a good chance at asylum, but she continues to languish in detention needlessly.
K has a network of support, including an attorney and people from the local organization Justice for Migrant Families of Western New York and local faith groups, who visit her and try to keep her spirits up. But she suffers from depression and, already a small person, has lost 20 pounds since her detention.
Your contribution is desperately needed so that K can continue to advocate for herself. Members of local community groups and faith organizations are standing by to house and provide for K when she gets out. You can free K and bring her home to the community that cares for her.
While your donation will go directly to K's bond fund, it will have an impact far beyond one woman. When K's case is resolved, this money will be recycled and reused to free others from immigration detention.
Thank you for supporting immigrants in need!
