Dear Friend,

Young Zheng Sullivan was only 14 years old when his father paid a group of human traffickers known as “Snakeheads” to smuggle him from China to the United States. Unbeknownst to Young, his family only paid the Snakeheads a few thousand dollars. They expected Young to work, around the clock, until he paid off the remainder of the smuggling fee—$65,000. After being apprehended by U.S. immigration officials, Young faced a host of challenges to prove he had a legal claim for protection in the United States. Working with pro-bono lawyers, Young Center Executive Director Maria Woltjen fought to stop Young's deportation, starting a years-long friendship that resulted in our organization being named after Young. We are writing to share the story of this fight with you and celebrate Young's resilience and the resilience and courage of the thousands of children we've served.