This Ixil mom deserves to be heard; Deported people deserve to be heard; This is the work we do at OIA!

Margarita Asicona Avilés, an Ixil woman from Homestead, Florida, has been held for days in a local jail — separated from her children — without an appropriate interpreter to explain what is happening, or help her communicate with attorneys and the court. She is facing criminal charges, and possibly deportation and the loss of custody of her children. The confusion and terror Ms. Asicona Avilés must feel, without being able to fully express herself, is unimaginable.

Comunidad Sol, an Ohio-based organization created and led by Indigenous women and youth, received a call for help from women leaders in their territories in Guatemala to bring visibility to Margarita’s case. The organization spearheaded an organizational letter to the Guatemalan Consulate in Florida seeking "action," "transparency" and promptness" in this crucial case, working with Ohio Immigrant Alliance. Learn more about the organizations' demands, and find quotes from the letter and a list of signatories here. 

This Saturday, November 15, Ohio Immigrant Alliance is hosting its first-ever Family Reunion and Fundraiser from 4-7pm at Chez Rama (3669 E. Livingston Ave, Columbus), a popular Senegalese restaurant. There will be free food and live music with the griot Habi Gawlo, as well as a surprise performer, and special guests Ayman Soliman and Gerónimo Ramírez. Grab more details and a quote from OIA Executive Director Lynn Tramonte here.

Abdoulaye Thiaw, a leader in OIA’s #ReuniteUS campaign to raise the visibility of people who were deported, issued a video invitation here. Although he can’t be there in person, he wants the entire community to attend and support this vital organization. This is the work we do at the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, and with your support, we can continue doing it. Thank you!