Dear John,

This year, all of us faced unprecedented challenges as a nation, state, and community. You nevertheless supported your immigrant and refugee neighbors and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM). You responded to action alerts, volunteered to represent young DREAMers and aspiring citizens, and supported our staff's representation of families seeking safety, security, and prosperity. Thank you.

Aung is one of the clients you supported this year. Aung has lived in Minnesota since 2008. His family, who are members of the Karen ethnic minority, fled the violent civil war in Burma when he was six months old. He spent the next thirteen years in refugee camps. After immigrating to Minnesota, Aung's life remained difficult. An extremely abusive home environment, the trauma of his youth in refugee camps, and a lack of access to mental health resources in his native language led to drug use. He was taken into ICE custody and faced deportation to Burma, the country from which his family escaped.

When Aung contacted ILCM from detention in the midst of the pandemic, we jumped into action. Aung needed a second chance and the resources to thrive here in Minnesota. Led by staff attorney Kerry McGuire, ILCM mobilized to prevent Aung's deportation, even though Kerry was never able to meet Aung in person because of COVID-19 related restrictions. We provided an entirely remote defense.

We collaborated with Karen organizations across the country to gather over 800 pages of documentation proving Aung would likely be tortured if deported to Burma. We also worked with mental health experts to help the immigration court understand the broader context of Aung's life and struggles. Earlier this year, ILCM secured protection from deportation for Aung.

Aung is twenty-five years old, and he has a second chance. A chance to live without the threat of persecution, to stay in Minnesota, and to build a career and a family. Aung is just one of thousands of clients for whom ILCM has advocated day in and day out through 2020--advocacy that is not possible without you.

Your gifts, allyship, and support have allowed ILCM to provide the responsive and creative services necessitated by this year. As we head into 2021 with hope for pathways to citizenship for all those we serve,[link removed] I ask you to once again show your support of our work with an end-of-year gift to ILCM. Your generosity now powers ILCM's efforts to create a more just world, one in which Minnesota's immigrants and refugees have access to justice, second chances, and a secure future.

In gratitude,

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Veena Iyer

Executive Director

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