TO DO: Transgender Rights/Immigration
Source: Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement (CIVIC)

http://www.endisolation.org/

Donate to Free G.

Help Us Free G By May 20th!

G is a transgender woman from Mexico who has resided in the United States for more than 15 years.   G fled her native Mexico, after suffering abuse by her family, discrimination by her community and two severe attacks by the Mexican police on account of being a transgender woman. At school, G was severely bullied by her classmates. Instead of protecting her, G’s teachers routinely humiliated and harassed G because she was transgender. Throughout G’s childhood, she was repeatedly and severely beaten by her father because she was effeminate. This violence escalated when G was 18 years old and she was gang-raped by the local police in her town. Eventually, G moved to Tijuana, hoping to avoid more violence and prejudice. However, soon after G’s arrival in Tijuana, the local authorities attempted to extort her, beat her until she lost consciousness, and then left her for dead in the road. 

G sought refuge in the United States from this constant barrage of abuse.  In the United States, G has been able to live openly as a transgender woman without harassment or abuse.  She has held down long-term employment as a farm worker; a job she is both good at and enjoys. Previously to being detained, G rented a room from a coworker and became an integral part of a loving family.

“He is a very good person that I love as if he were my dad because he buy me things and takes me to eat and I love him very much and I want him to come home to us and I miss him very much.” 

-This is a letter from a child (8 years old) of the family G was living with before she was detained. She had taken on a care-giver role to this child, and he wrote this hoping it would encourage the judge to free G.

Being in detention at the Santa Ana City Jail has been a traumatic experience for G, but she has tried to turn the experience into something positive.  She has taken advantage of the resources around her, enrolling in classes and reconnecting to her religious faith.

G has been in immigration custody for more than six months and has yet to have her case heard on its merits.  With the help of her pro bono attorney at the Public Counsel, G filed an application for asylum.  Unfortunately, G’s asylum case has been assigned to a judge who has proven very hostile to transgender claims. If G is not able to bond out by May 20th, it is very likely that she will lose her case and be deported to the country that has already caused her so much harm. If she bonds out, G is eligible for a work permit and could return to her job, live with her “adopted” family and have her case heard by a new judge.

Please join CIVIC and Free G!

CIVIC has teamed up with the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles to raise money for G’s bond, which is set at $3,000.  Give a tax-deductible donation to G’s Bond Fund today!

DONATE ONLINE - Under Program, click “Other” and write “Bond Fund.”  TO DONATE, GO TO: http://blog.endisolation.org/free-g

You may also send a check made out to “First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles” to the following address:

2936 West 8th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90005

Please write “Bond Fund” on the Check.  100% of your donation will go toward paying G’s bond or toward helping other human beings gain their freedom from immigration detention by paying their bond.

MORE ABOUT CIVIC:

CIVIC and its nationwide network of affiliated visitation programs is the first point of contact to the outside world for many immigrants in detention. CIVIC works to connect immigrants in detention to a community of support on the outside and that is exactly what CIVIC is doing for G.  But we need your support now!

For more information about CIVIC, check out www.endisolation.org! TO DONATE, GO TO: http://blog.endisolation.org/free-g

HISTORY OF THE BOND FUND:

Since 2007, First Unitarian Church’s Immigration Bond Fund has been run by Rochelle McAdam and has been used to post bond for eligible candidates in immigration detention.  Each bond has cost between $1,500 and $3,000, and the Bond Fund had been successful in gaining the release of nearly 10 individuals, most of whom were detained in the Mira Loma Detention Facility in Lancaster, California (a detention facility now closed).