Friend,  

ICE just reported that a second man in their custody died from COVID-19. His name was Santiago, and he immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala. He was 34 years old.  

Our client, Yani, fears the same fate. The ICE facility where she's held in South Louisiana is rife for an outbreak. In the past month, she has lived in cramped quarters and even gone without toilet paper and soap for extended periods of time. 

Now she's demanding freedom for herself and others living in dangerous conditions. Will you support Yani by signing our petition calling on ICE to free Yani and all LGBTQ asylum seekers?

Sincerely, 

Liza

Dear Friend,  

Our client, Yani, calls me several times a week from the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, where she’s been detained for five months. Her voice comes across faintly over the weak phone connection, but her message comes across crystal clear: she’s scared of contracting COVID-19 in detention, she can’t wait to be reunited with her partner Dayana, and she doesn’t want to hide her sexual orientation anymore.  

Yani and Dayana fled Cuba and came to the U.S. last year seeking protection from homophobic persecution. They waited six months in Mexico just to apply for asylum, and when they finally presented themselves to authorities, they were sent to an ICE detention center. Dayana was released, but five months later, Yani is still detained. Just this week, we found out that ICE rejected Yani’s request to be released. We're outraged, and we’re doing everything in our power to free Yani and reunite her with Dayana. We hope you’ll join us.

Add your name to our petition calling on ICE to release Yani and all LGBTQ asylum seekers from detention.

Yani’s situation would be unbearable under normal circumstances, but the COVID-19 outbreak makes securing her release even more urgent. She lives in cramped quarters with dozens of other women, so social distancing is impossible. The ICE guards are not required to wear protective gear, putting all those detained at risk. And if you can believe it, this is an improvement from weeks ago when she had no soap or toilet paper.  

ICE could release Yani and other LGBTQ asylum seekers today. Keeping them locked up is not only dangerous, it’s immoral. If we don’t make a lot of noise, they’ll keep getting away with it. 

Demand that ICE release Yani and all LGBTQ asylum seekers immediately. Sign the petition today.

Together, we can get justice for Yani. Thank you for being a part of this campaign. We couldn’t do this without you. 

Sincerely, 

Liza Doubossarskaia, Law Clerk, Detention Program 
Immigration Equality