I was picked up by ICE on the way to classes and was held at
the detention center at Dallas, Texas. I was released on bail when my brother
in law and sister came to pick me up. I
have faced many obstacles in my life, but nothing quite like this. I was
worried, scared, and lost in words to say when I got home and talked to my
mother face to face. She was frantically looking for someone that could help me
and found FALDEF as the number one search result from Google. My mother got a
hold of Atty. Merit Salud at first and then talked to Atty. J.T. Mallonga. My
mother and I talked to both of them to see if they were able to help us seeing
that they were in New Jersey and we were in Plano, an area of Texas that they
have never heard of before. We eventually got a call back from them and
received good news that they were able to help us.
From that day on FALDEF has given me hope that I would be
able to live my life normally day by day. They have given me a chance to
fulfill my dreams and goals that would have been otherwise missed. I know that
they have given it their all on helping me win my case and without them I
wouldn’t be here today. They have brought the “New York way” to Texas and
helped me stay with my family and friends.
They have given me the opportunity to care for my young brother and be a
father figure for him, see him grow and help my family.
I thank Atty. Mallonga and Atty. Salud, all the people at
FALDEF, and their supporters for all of their hard work for me and the other
DREAMERS out there without them I don’t know where I’d be.
