FUND A TRAVELER
2020 HOLIDAY REUNIONS!
During the 2020 holiday season, immigration organizations across the country in coordination with the National Bail Fund Network will be bailing out hundreds of immigrants from ICE detention centers, made especially urgent by the deadly spread of COVID-19.
Hello Vuelo will be helping cover transportation costs to reunite released ICE detainees with their loved ones in the U.S. THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
HELP US RAISE $20,000 BY NOVEMBER 15th!
Thousands upon thousands of immigrants - including accompanied and unaccompanied minors - are being held in detention centers across the country - trapped in a system that is difficult even for professional advocates to navigate. Legal staff, community organizations & volunteers are working hard to win asylum for detainees and reunite detainees with sponsors (family members or friends of the family) in the US so they can be released to their custody. The spread of COVID-19 in detention centers and lack of proper treatment makes the release of detainees all the more urgent.
For many detainees, the cost of travel is expensive & difficult to pay for on short notice. Hello Vuelo is partnering with legal & community organizations on the ground, to fund travel expenses for released detainees to get them to their family & friends in the US as soon as possible. These requests come up suddenly and we have to fund travel right away - otherwise detainees will often be left stranded once released in cities where they have no community. Please make a donation so we have funds available to cover these urgent travel costs during the 2020 holiday season!
PREVIOUSLY FUNDED TRAVELERS
ICE DETAINEES - HOLIDAY REUNIONS 2019
In collaboration with the National Bail Fund Network, which coordinates Community Bail Funds across the country, we helped reunite 50+ detainees with loved ones during the holiday season after they were bailed out from ICE detentions centers. From Texas to California to Louisiana to Ohio, we quickly purchased flights and bus tickets to get released detainees reunited with family and friends.
The Montrevil Family
NEW YORK CITY TO PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
Nominating Organization: Judson Memorial Church, New Sanctuary Movement
Hi, I am Jahsiah. I am 14 years old. I am the son of the 49-year old Haitian immigrant Jean Montrevil. My father came to the US from Haiti with his twin sister, Rose Montrevil, in 1986, when he was only 17 years old. On January 16th, after living 32 years in the US, my father was deported to Haiti, a country he does not know anymore. They took him away suddenly, on his way to work, and he had to leave all of us behind. I can’t explain how it feels to have your parent taken away from you - a part of me is missing but I know he’d want me to keep going.
JESUS CASTELLANOS
NEW YORK CITY TO PUERTO ESCONDIDA, OAXACA
Nominating Organization: Make the Road NY
My main reason to travel to my native country is to be able to visit my parents and grandmother that unfortunately I only talk to them on the phone. I have not seen them since I came to the United States 5 years ago. After I received my green card last November I was ready to travel to Mexico, unfortunately I got scared when Trump got elected as President and I had to postpone my trip. In fact I was more scared when he announced the Muslim Ban, even though I am not from those countries, I was not feeling safe to travel. Today is a different moment, and I am ready to go visit my family no matter what. The recent earthquakes made me changed my mind, my family was impacted. READ MORE. . .
The Habtemariam Family
Nominating Organization: African Services Committee
I applied for asylum around 2015 with the hope of finding refuge in the U.S and a permanent place to live and bring my family. My asylum application was approved on December 29, 2016. My petition to bring my family has been approved and now I am able to bring my family. I am eager to meet my younger son who I haven’t seen since he was four months old. He has already reached 10 years of age without a father. I am excited to reunite with my family after a decade of being apart.” READ MORE. . .
THE MOHAMED FAMILY
Nominating Organization: Sadie Nash Leadership Project
In the next year, my sister and I will be embarking on new adventures as we are going off to college; we wish to take this trip with our grandmother this summer so that we may move into our young adults lives knowing we have the support of our birth parents and home country. Meeting our mother and father for the first time in about 11 years will give us a new outlook on life, especially since growing up without the love of your parents is a harsh reminder of what we missed out on. We need our community to support us! In order to truly find myself, this trip is needed and in order to reconnect with my Guyanese roots we ask for your support. READ MORE. . .
Hello Vuelo raised $20,000 the 2016 holiday season, sending over 20 low-income immigrants who have status under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to visit family in their countries of birth before January 20th, 2017 when Trump took office. These travelers came to the United States when they were children and some have not seen family members in over 15 years. We urgently funded these trips before Trump took office because he might potentially rescinds this important program, leaving these undocumented young adults vulnerable to detainment and deportation. READ MORE. . .
SONIA MOLINA
NEW YORK CITY TO MEXICO CITY
My paternal grandmother is now 93 years old and I have not seen her in 18 years - her health is deteriorating as days go by. She raised my brother and I in Mexico City while my parents went to the United States to provide a better life for us. I want to thank her for everything she has done for me while I still have the chance.
My advanced parole application was submitted this week, and I am humbly seeking for your support to be able to pay for the plane ticket. I am very hopeful for the opportunity to see my grandmother for what could possibly be the last time. READ MORE. . .
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: MAKE THE ROAD NEW YORK
LUBA CORTES
NEW YORK CITY TO PUEBLA, MEXICO
One of the earliest memories I have in New York City is of scrubbing toilets alongside my mother. She worked as a housekeeper for wealthy families and because she could not afford a babysitter, she would often take me with her. I would do my homework while catching glimpses of my mother as she was dusting television sets or folding bedsheets in homes that we would visit once a week.
My mother and I moved from Puebla, Mexico, to the United States in October 1999, and we have lived in New York ever since. In Puebla, my mother was a lawyer. Here she is part of the pool of undocumented immigrants who facilitate the lifestyles of so many people in the country that she calls home. It feels like we have spent more time in other people’s homes than our own, cleaning, dusting, scrubbing, cooking, the same tasks that many women who migrate to the United States subsist on. READ MORE. . .
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: MAKE THE ROAD NEW YORK
OSCAR CHICO
NEW YORK CITY TO MEXICO CITY
My name is Oscar Chico and I am 23 years old. I am originally from Mexico City where I lived until I was 15 years old turning 16. While growing up I had dreams and goals, but leaving my birth country behind, having to adapt to a whole new culture and twisting my identity were never on my checklist. My mom brought my brother and I to New York City about 9 years ago - it was a long and very dangerous journey. After 4 years of living in New York, my mom and my brother went back to México, leaving me behind with my dad. Since then, I haven’t seen them. Its been 9 years without going back to my roots, my culture, or at least being able to hug my sister (who, by the way, made me uncle a few months ago). Being able to go back to my birth country and at the same time being able to come back to my new home country, New York, is the accomplishment of a great dream. READ MORE. . .
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: MAKE THE ROAD NEW YORK
THE FERGUSON-WHITE FAMILY
NEW YORK CITY TO TRINIDAD
In December 2009, I was told my father was being deported to Trinidad, a place that he hadn’t been since he was 12 years old. I thought I was stuck in some sort of nightmare. I was expecting my dad to come home and he never did.
After my dad’s deportation, my family fell on hard times. My dad was a financial supporter for my family, and without him working, we couldn’t afford all of our bills. Given our financial situation, we have not been able to afford to go visit him in Trinidad. More than anything, I would love to hug him again and see his face. It is a face that I have not seen since 2009. My mother, Valjean, my sister Tanya and my nephew, Elijah are desperate to visit our father in Trinidad; we can't take another day without him. We want to laugh again and remember what it was like to be a family. The four of us always used to go out together as one group. My mother misses him so much. He brings my mom joy and without him she has changed. She misses her best friend. It will be great for him to finally meet his grandson who has only seen pictures of him. I miss my dad; he was my friend and supporter, someone I could talk to about anything. READ MORE. . .
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: UNLOCAL
THE AH LAN FAMILY
SAN FRANCISCO TO TOISHAN, CHINA
My name is Ah Lan and I came to the U.S from Toisan, China in 2002. For 7 years now, I have been an active committee member of the Chinese Progressive Association’s Tenant Worker Center fighting to protect low cost housing in San Francisco. I was once employed but due to workplace injuries, I’ve been unable to work for the past 8 years. At the restaurant, I would work about 10 - 11 hours. I would do everything from food preparation to cleaning. I would only get one day off. I constantly had to handle a lot of frozen food and it wasn’t always under the safest conditions. This injured my hands and to this day, I am unable to really lift anything heavy.
My husband is the sole provider for my family and he makes less than $20,000/year. My grandparents raised me like my parents and I have not seen them in over 7 years - they are in China. I’m very close to them and we can talk about anything. They are both elderly so I hope one day to be able to move them to the U.S to take care of them.
I would like to travel in March 2016 for my nephew's wedding with either my husband, if he can take time off of work, or one of my daughters. Thank you for helping bring my family together on this important occasion.
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: Chinese Progressive Association of SF
THE AYELE FAMILY
ETHIOPIA TO NEW YORK CITY
My name is Selegen Ayele. I left Ethiopia with my eldest child Miky when my youngest son Yanet was only three months and my daughter Selamawit was only 3 years old. My wife Meseret is the bravest person I know because she suddenly became the sole caregiver to a newborn and a young child. Because seven-thousand miles separate us, I missed Yanet’s first steps and his first words. I missed Selamawit’s first day of school. I speak with my children and Meseret often, but it is no substitute for seeing and holding them. I feel like half of my heart is in Ethiopia and half of my heart is in the United States. My wife and children are now able to join me in the U.S. and after six years of living apart, my heart will be whole again. I work as a limousine driver in New York City. I don’t earn much, and what I do earn I send to my family in Ethiopia. READ MORE. . .
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: African Services Committee
The Diop Family
Dakar, Senegal to New York City
My name is Aicha Diop and I am from Rosso, Mauritania. In 2003, I came to the U.S. after being a refugee in Senegal for over 14 years, where my family was forced into exile. I was finally granted asylum after waiting a decade and, at last, am now able to bring my children here to New York City live with me. I am seeking funding to be reunited with my four children - Valerie, Lidy, Sophia, and El Hadj - after over 11 years of separation.
FLIGHT CREW: The Ahmed Family, Elizabeth Ott & Megan Baier
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: African Services Committee
THE QING FAMILY
San Francisco, CA to Toishan, China
My name is Wan Qing and I am a restaurant worker in Chinatown in San Francisco. I serve food at a deli and manage the counter as a cashier also. It is difficult to find a better job because I do not know English. I cannot afford the plane tickets to China due to my low-wage job. In a few years, my children will hopefully be going to college but I am still very worried about their tuition - every penny that I have now I save it up for my son's tuition. I try my best to save money but I still cannot achieve my dream to go back to Mainland China with my family. READ MORE. . .
FLIGHT CREW: The Lee/Wilson/Brodie Family
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: Chinese Progressive Association of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA to Guangzhou, China
I was born in Guangzhou, China and migrated here to the United States in 1999 when I was about 50 years old. Since I’ve been in the US, I have worked at a bakery store, garment factory, and laundry store. Now, I work for In-Home Supportive Services as a housekeeper.
I would really like to travel to Guangzhou to see my son as well as my uncle, auntie, older sister, son, and younger brother. I would especially like to see them during the Chinese New Year next year so we can celebrate the holidays together. READ MORE. . .
FLIGHT CREW: Joyce Chen & Emily Moore
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: Chinese Progressive Association - San Francisco
Alfredo Galmadez
Chicago, IL to Guatemala
While working as a dishwasher at Capital Grille earning $8.75 an hour I was barely making ends meet but somehow managing to send at least a little money back to Guatemala. I eat simply, I can’t afford to go out much and have fun, I can’t just walk into a store and get a new outfit. I have to watch every penny. Since I have been living basically paycheck-to-paycheck for 8 years I haven’t even been able to think about going back to Guatemala to see my father, brother, and nephew & niece. Where would the money come from? Going back to Guatemala sounds like a dream, it is not something I thought I’d be able to do. READ MORE. . .
FLIGHT CREW: The Kaza-Reddy Family
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: The Restaurant Opportunities Center of Chicago
Evelyn Rivera
Altamonte Springs, FL to Colombia
In 2007, my mom was driving me to my high school lacrosse practice. Suddenly, the police pulled us over for no reason and my mom was detained for driving without a license. She was taken to the local jail and after seeing that she had no legal status in the United States they placed an immigration hold on her case. She was then transferred to the Broward Transitional Center, a private detention center, where she was held for over four months and eventually deported to Colombia. My mother was forced to leave behind her husband and three daughters. READ MORE. . .
FLIGHT CREW: The Chen Sisters
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: United We Dream
Steven Pimentel
Brooklyn, NY to Dominican Republic
I am 22 years old and I was conceived in the Dominican Republic but born in Brooklyn, New York. My mom was seven months pregnant with me when she boarded an airplane in 1991 with my older sister and came to live in the states. I have never met my father and the main reason for that is because things have always been financially hard for my mom as a single parent and she was unable to send us to the DR. Me and my sisters have seen her struggle to raise us, working multiple jobs, dealing with disrespectful people while she worked as a waitress for over a decade. READ MORE. . .
FLIGHT CREW: Dena & Shana Simmons
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: Make the Road New York
Antonio Alarcon
Queens, NY to Mexico
It's been two years since my undocumented parents returned to Mexico, unable to come back to the US, and almost 9 years without seeing my brother who remained in my native country. Two years where my parents missed my high school graduation and many important moments for me. There have been times when I wanted to hear my mother say, "My son, here am I, your mother." I only have few memories with my mom during the time we spent together for 7 years of my entire life. Not because she had not wanted to be there for me, but because she had an obligation to work and support us. READ MORE. . .
FLIGHT CREW: The De Castro-Lee Family
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: Make the Road New York
Mateo Tabares
Brooklyn, NY to Colombia
My name is Mateo Tabares, I am 18 years old and I came from Colombia in 2010. My parents and I migrated to the United States hoping to achieve the American Dream - to have a better economic status and obtain a higher education. However, accomplishing this goal has become very difficult because my father has gone back to Colombia. I have not seen him in 4 years. I am looking forward to finally going back to Colombia after so many years ago - to see my grandmother and my father and to experience my hometown and native country for the first time as a transmale. I hope to obtain my green card in the next few weeks, finally giving me status and enabling me to travel to Colombia.
FLIGHT CREW: Megan Baier & Liz Ott
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: Make the Road New York
Asmaou Bah
Upper Darby, Pennsylvania to Freetown, Sierra Leone
My name is Asmaou Bah and I am 48 years old. I was born in the Pita region of Guinea and am a Guinean national. Despite dealing with much gender discrimination in my home country, I went to university and became a mathematics teacher. At this time, I also became politically engaged, becoming a leader in my teachers’ union and also an outspoken advocate for womens’ right. Soon, I was targeted by the military for my political activism as well as for refusing to be forced into marriage or let my daughter be forced in marriage by my late husband’s family. . .READ MORE
FLIGHT CREW: The Reddy Family
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: African Services Committee
Adilka Pimentel
Brooklyn, NY to Dominican Republic
In November 1991 I immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic and would remain undocumented until 2009. It's been 5 years since I've been able to fly out of the country and reunite with my father and other family members. I wish it were as simple as packing my bags and getting on a plane. Unfortunately debt, living paycheck to paycheck and other financial obligations have kept me from being able to meet the man who might've made the biggest difference in my life, my father.
FLIGHT CREW: The Sen Family
PARTNER ORGANIZATION: Make the Road New York