05/25/2026
As you may know, the Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio has supported seven detained noncitizens during the past few months. One of the detained asylum-seekers is a husband and father from Peru. His wife is a native-born US Citizen, and she shared the following message with us:
"My husband is detained, and it has severely taken a toll on me, as well as my two children. We have lost our home, my job from depression, my husband's new vehicle, and the security my children and I had. We miss him and pray every moment for him to be released. I have been praying about helping families going through the same thing. It's unbearable, and the thought of having your family member—especially your husband—possibly deported is a constant feeling of grief I wish on nobody. My husband had his work permit and was working hard as a chef, and now he is detained and separated from our family. I am a believer in God and prayer, and I am truly hoping that my husband will be able to come back home."
There are several ways that you can support him and his family in the coming weeks:
(1) Offer a supportive presence in the Cleveland Immigration Court on June 4, 2026, at 9:30AM. His wife would like for friends to observe his asylum hearing in person. To request more information and to sign up, please e-mail [email protected] with "6/4/26 Hearing" in the subject line.
(2) Contribute to his ICE commissary account. We hope to deposit $200 into his ICE commissary account this week, so that he can purchase food items and make phone calls to his wife, children, and other loved ones. You can donate to our Advance online at https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZEAN/campaign/C-15MZ6 or by mailing a check payable to East Ohio Conference UMC with "Fund 9997" in the memo line to EOCUMC Attn: E Casey, 8800 Cleveland Ave NW, North Canton, OH 44720. All surplus donations will support the Task Force's other ministries.
(3) Write him a letter of encouragement. Please use this form to submit your letter of encouragement: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpCNKseYFpKFIpi2SiVmHXt78ayNZyRc0DJilN0pmecA15pQ/viewform?usp=header.
(4) Pray for him and his family, including during the Interfaith Prayer Vigil outside the Butler County Jail on May 30, 2026, 3-5pm. Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSepshkcVdY9G1RBl37_k6EK3Eiue7sn9jVEz8ej-3--kqHqfg/viewform.
