This has been a day. I got woke up with a phone call from a reporter wanting some quotes about how the current immigration policies are impacting real people. I am currently sitting in a state of anger from an immigration situation that feels hard. Not sure I gave him what he needed. I sent a note to him this afternoon and apologized.
The detainee from Germany is in a pickle. He reached out for some help and Love in Action is not set up to help him. What we do for one we have to do for all and there are 119 others at the Center that have their own hard stories. I posted the below on Facebook today.
TRIGGER WARNING
The following update is hard to read and sit with. Love in Action was created to support the Detainees while they are being held at the Chase County Detention Center located in Cottonwood Falls, KS. It was not created to solve individual Detainee situations. This is just one of the Detainees story and situation. The Center houses 119 other ICE Detainees with similar stories.
We are being called to bear witness to their stories and allow the feelings that arise in us to find ways to help change our broken systems. May bearing witness to this story encourage you to find ways to soften your hearts and offer more grace and compassion to ALL of your neighbors.
This is an update on the Detainee that was born in Germany to a German mother and a US citizen father that was in the military. The Detainee was brought to the US by his father when he was 16-years-old. For whatever reason, his US citizenship request by being the son of an American father was denied. He has been detained since December, 2025.
Recently the Detainee was granted I-130 status which is citizenship through being married to a US Citizen. However, he now needs his I-485 Green card application approved.
The Trump administration’s new directive to USCIS makes filing an I-485 to adjust status within the United States an “extraordinary discretionary relief”. USCIS officers are instructed to treat consular processing (applying from outside the U.S.) as the default method for obtaining a green card, making U.S.-based adjustment of status the rare exception. He is being detained so going to Germany to apply is not in his control.
This Detainee needs to obtain a specific physical which can cost between $2,000 – $3,000 to complete. How he is to do that while being detained is still unknown. His wife is struggling with the attorney fees they have already paid and continue to occur. This process has been in the works for over three years now and they have already paid out close to $40,000 in attorney fees. Every time he has a court appearance (which is monthly) the attorney charges him $500.
He has no timeline for this to come to an end and no guarantee that his application for the I-485 will be approved. The normal processing time can take up to 24 months and USCIS is overwhelmed currently and processing times are stretching far beyond the expected timeframe. He continues to sit in the Detention Center through this process unable to earn any income to support his family.
If the family had an extra $5,000 for attorney fees, they could file a Writ of Mandamus which would force USCIS to make a quicker decision. However, they have reached their maximum credit limit with what they have spent so far.
Both the Detainee and the wife are starting to have physical and mental issues due to the stress of this situation.
I have disabled comments on this post.
I had to disable comments as I don’t have the bandwidth to respond to comments today. I have received a couple PM already though. Dang, this is hard sometimes.
I did have two highlights of the day though. I got the mail on my way to Emporia late morning and received three donations for Love in Action. I got a check for $300 and another one for $20. I also got a book of stamps. All donations are appreciated and welcome. After the hard start to this morning it was a wonderful reminder that we are doing some good even on the days when it feels like it isn’t enough.
I made a double batch of Chocolate No Bake Cookies and took some to Ellexia and Jason when I met them for lunch. Kathy and I have enjoyed the leftovers today too.
I picked up Ellexia and we met Jason for lunch. Always a good day when I get to spend time with some of my loved ones. Ellexia and I went to Walmart after lunch and I got my groceries and then I took her home. She was going to take a shower and then take a nap. She had woken up at 9:00 this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. She said it was way too early to wake up! Oh the life of a teenager.
While I was in town I stopped and picked up some new parts for my sleep apnea machine. The cushions around my mouth had stretched out and I was eligible for a free replacement part. Trusting that will make using the machine a bit easier again. Lately it has been bugging me at night and I have taken it off a couple of nights and not used it all night.
“My momma said there would be days like this – my momma said.” Isn’t that a song from long ago. Sure feels true today! What a roller coaster of a day.
Nothing on my calendar for the next two days. I need to put myself into time-out until I can settle with my anger. I am so tired of a system that puts people down and makes it impossible for them to navigate through. What are we doing? I will come to grips with this sooner or later. Right now I need to allow myself all the feels so it will pass and get back to helping what little I can.
Next week I have a haircut in Emporia on Monday and then an eye doctor appointment on Tuesday. I don’t think I have any other plans for the rest of the week. We shall see if the empty space holds open.
This has been a day where tears are falling hard. I must have been holding some hard feelings I wasn’t aware of and needed to release them. I trust I won’t stay in the muck pond long as it is hard to think logically when I am in there. I know solutions for all problems are available and one is in place that is helping make a difference already. The rest will fall into place sooner or later.
Grateful for time with Ellexia and Jason today, grateful for reporters that do their best to tell the stories of the immigrants, and grateful for all those that support Love in Action in big and small ways.