“There is nothing more beautiful than freedom.”

Tobias came to the US in 2019, fleeing severe violence in Guatemala. He arrived as an unaccompanied minor, enrolled in school, and tried to focus on his future, but financial hardship forced him to leave and work full-time just to survive.

In 2023, Tobias’s Special Immigrant Juvenile Status was approved—a critical step toward safety. However, due to the visa backlog, he was left in limbo without lawful status. Then ICE detained him.

We met Tobias during one of our monthly ICE jail visits. He was terrified and confused. He didn’t understand why he had been locked up or why the protection he had fought so hard to win wasn’t keeping him safe from deportation. We helped him file a pro se asylum application and a motion for administrative closure. Our partners filed a federal habeas petition challenging his detention.

Tobias shared, “I felt that I had no options but, thanks to God, you appeared and provided your help and did everything possible to get me out.”

Together, these efforts demonstrated that his deportation case should be closed while he waits for a visa. The judge ruled in his favor. Tobias was released from detention and went home to his family the same day.

Now, he is back at work and waiting for a visa to become available. He is free, reunited with his loved ones, and has a real chance to stay safe.

“There is nothing more beautiful than freedom,” said Tobias. “It’s something I don’t know how to explain. I am so grateful to you all for helping me reunite with my son. Thank you.”