by Alejandra Romo
When ICE detained Melody’s (not her real name) husband during what was supposed to be a routine check-in, their family’s life changed in an instant. Melody was left to care for their three young children alone, baby twins who were only two months old at the time and their toddler. It’s not a day they will ever forget, or the following six months.
Melody’s husband was previously the family’s primary provider. Without his income and with the additional expenses that came with her husband’s detainment, she struggled to keep her family afloat financially. Melody was forced to sell many of their belongings simply to provide for her children.
Meanwhile, inside Adelanto ICE Processing Center, her husband was experiencing a different kind of hardship, describing the conditions as harsh and dehumanizing.
“People are dying in there, but they don’t care,” he shared.
The emotional toll of the spouses’ separation weighed heavily on both of them. They equally shared fear about the overwhelming uncertainty of what the future held for his immigration case and for their family’s future together.
After months of incarceration, Melody’s husband was offered release on bond. The amount was set to $7,000. This was an impossible sum of money for the family to afford with all the financial instability they had faced after his detainment over the past months. CLUE stepped in and posted his bond, with donations to the Immigrant Detention Bond Fund, making reunification possible. After more than half a year apart, Melody and her husband were reunited.
“I will forever be grateful to have come across CLUE,” Melody shared.
Melody’s husband hopes that others who remain detained will also have the opportunity to reunite with their loved ones as he did. Their story is a reminder that behind every detention case is a family waiting, worrying, and hoping for the chance to be together again.