It has now been more than 7 years since a young mother from Guatemala came to the U.S. fleeing domestic violence and seeking asylum in this country with the dream of living in safety with her children. She eventually settled in San Luis Obispo County with her two boys. A grassroots group of local community members came together to support the family, and in the spring of 2018 the group started this ongoing fundraiser to help with living expenses. Beberly has had an asylum case open with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) since summer 2017, which opened the door to more independence: her driver’s license, a social security number, a work permit, and eventually a job with Apple, where she provides assistance to Spanish-speaking customers internationally by phone.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2024:

Like many others since the November election, Beberly is now making a plan for the possibility that the family may not be allowed to have their day in court and may instead be deported under the incoming administration. We will continue to support the family as they navigate this most recent challenge.

SPECIAL REQUEST NOVEMBER 2024: We would like to give the boys a Christmas this year. Please help us to bring them a little joy into this holiday season!

EMERGENCY SITUATION

The USCIS is experiencing huge backlogs, exacerbated by the pandemic, that have resulted in delays for tens of thousands of people in the processing of their paperwork, including the renewal of work permits. Beberly has been caught in this system's failure for 27 months. Her efforts and those of Apple’s legal team have been unsuccessful in resolving it. She has been placed on work authorization leave.

Beberly recently filed a request for assistance with the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, an independent office that serves as advocate and liaison between the immigrant and the USCIS and she has been reassured that this will speed up the process.

In the meantime, Beberly finds herself in the critical situation of being a single parent caring for two children with minimal means of financial support.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2024:

After submitting her request for assistance to the ombudsman's office, the issue with Beberly's work permit was cleared up in two weeks. She is back at work with Apple! While we are celebrating this development, the financial stress remains high due to the debt accrued during the period that she was unable to work.

A HEARTFELT REQUEST FOR YOUR SUPPORT

If you are touched by this family's story, please consider joining this caring community in supporting them with a donation. Whatever amount you can give, even once, will make a difference in this family’s life. Recurring donations would be especially appreciated if you have the means.

If you are unable to donate at this time, you can still help! We ask that everyone who reads this please help us to extend our reach for possible donors by writing a personal email and sharing the link with at least two people you know who may be sympathetic to this cause.

Heartfelt thanks in advance for any support that you can give!   

Mary Lynn Crandall, lead organizer of this fundraiser.