VIDA: Volunteers for Immigrants in Detention - Albuquerque

VIDA Pen Pal Program

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I write?

Each Pen Pal makes their own decision about how often they can write to someone in detention. Some wait to receive a letter back, while others may pick a day once a week or once a month regardless of whether or not they’ve received a response. Do what works for you and what is sustainable for your life.

What should I say?

Check out these sample letters for ideas. Your letter does not need to be long. It can be short and sweet and tell the person that you are thinking of them. Ask questions but keep your tone light. Once the person has written you back it will get easier to keep the communication going.

I wrote a letter but I didn’t get a response. Why?

We never know why someone in detention does not answer a letter. It may be because they are depressed, or because they are not comfortable writing, or their literacy level is low. We have to trust that it still makes a difference to them to receive letters. At VIDA, we can find you another person to write to if you never receive a response. Many immigrants in detention write back promptly. We recommend that you write at least three letters before giving up. Some people are willing to write and write without ever receiving a response, and we appreciate that.

Can I send a greeting card?

It depends on the detention center. A simple "Thinking of you" greeting card should be OK, but a more elaborate one (e.g. one that speaks or has other things attached) may be construed as concealing "contraband." Some places will allow it and some won’t. For your first letter, stick with regular paper. Then you can experiment with what’s allowed. Unfortunately, some of these rules are intermittently enforced so it’s hard to know what’s allowed for sure.

I feel uncomfortable using my home address. What should I do?

We have two address options for this situation. One of our coordinators can scan the letter and email it to you, or you can have it physically forwarded to you. You can let us know what you prefer on this form or by e-mailing us anytime at abqvida@gmail.com.

My correspondent asked me something I couldn’t answer, or told me some disturbing stories. What should I do?

Please reach out to us at VIDA (abqvida@gmail.com) if you are ever concerned about something you read in a letter or you have any questions. If they mention taking their own lives or committing suicide, we coordinators can alert the medical department at the facility.

We can’t usually solve the problems that immigrants may have in detention, but we can try to at least address them.

My correspondent wants me to help them with their legal case. What should I do?

The legal side of an asylum or other immigrant case can be quite complicated. We are not attorneys and are not able to advise them about their cases. Encourage them to seek out the legal aid that should be offered in every facility (usually called Pro-Bono). We are on their side, but there is not always something that we can do to help. Reach out to the coordinators at abqvida@gmail.com and we can talk to you about this.

My correspondent asked me to send them money. What should I do?

VIDA volunteers provide a caring connection for immigrants in detention that is very valuable. We do not usually provide financial assistance. We do not want to create an expectation of financial help that many volunteers cannot fulfill. If you develop an ongoing relationship and want to help financially, it's important that you know and follow facility guidelines so that neither the immigrant or our program is inadvertently harmed. Please contact a Coordinator if you want to pursue providing financial help.

How do I learn about upcoming legal proceedings for immigrants in detention?

Navigate to the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) site.

1. Click Agree

2. Select Automated Case Information

3. Enter the A# for the immigrant in question

4. Press Submit

Alternatively, you can call 800-898-7180, press 1 for English, then press 1 to enter the A#. Then enter the A#, and it will confirm his name. Then it will allow you to get the following information, by number:

1. Next hearing date

2. Clock – this means how many days have elapsed since the person filed an asylum application, if any

3. Decision information – this will normally say if the judge granted relief, denied relief, etc.

4. Appeal information – will normally give information regarding an appeal deadline

5. The court which has jurisdiction over the case

If I learn that my pen pal was released from detention, can I find out if they were granted asylum, released under supervision, or deported?

Neither ICE nor detention guards are authorized to give us this information but there are ways to search publicly-available resources to find clues.

Perhaps the most reliable way to do this is to search the Executive Office for Immigration Review site (directions can be found immediately above in this document). For instance, the results below are in regard to an immigrant we had visited and written with in the Aurora Detention Center:

For the case above, on December 2, 2019, the judge ordered the removal (i.e. deportation) of this person. Immediately below that information, we read that they lost an appeal on May 21, 2020. In early June, we learned that this individual was no longer in detention. Being as they lost their case and appeal, we assume they were deported.

However, we are also aware of cases where - for various reasons - the country to which ICE has wanted to deport the immigrant is unwilling to receive them. In some of those cases, the person has eventually been released.

So in the case above, it is a reasonable assumption that they were deported, but we can’t know with certainty unless we hear from them or one of their loved ones.

The results below are in regard to another immigrant we had visited and written with in the Aurora Detention Center:

In this case, the judge granted the application, which means that our friend won his freedom and was released. He also called one of our volunteers afterwards to share the good news. 😊

What resources are available for immigrants in detention?

We have a compiled a list of resources in this document.

What resources are available for immigrants who are being deported?

• The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has compiled extensive resources in English and Spanish for folks who are being deported to Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador or Guatemala.
  

• Life After Deportation is a guide that gives options for folks who are being deported to Mexico. The target audience is for people who grew up in the US and are being deported to a country that is unfamiliar to them.
  

• This survival guide gives guidance to immigrants who are being deported to Cambodia.
  

• Alternative Chance / Chans Altenativ offers guidance for folks who are being deported to Haiti
  

• This guide - compiled by Freedom For Immigrants - provides post-deportation resources for folks being deported to Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala or Jamaica. Freedom For Immigrants has also provided information on this topic near the bottom of this page on their website.

What is ok to send to my friends in detention? Each facility has different rules. We are aware that any of the items on the following list may not be accepted:

• Greeting or post cards with glitter, electronic devices, ribbons, etc.... they must be plain store bought and also cannot be homemade or altered in any way.

• Postage stamps

• Envelopes, writing paper, posters, and/or stationary items.

• Hardcover books, magazines, newspapers, or paperback books.

• Photos must be professional and cannot be printed on home computers.

• Any suspicious or writing in codes.

• Newspaper or magazine clippings.

• Computer printouts from Internet

• Mail containing, perfume, cologne, lip-stick, chap-stick, bodily fluids, watermarks, paint, colored pencil markings, permanent marker, glue, Paste, substances, etc……

• Cash money or funds

When in doubt, you can call the facility and ask what is acceptable.

Why is requesting asylum so difficult?

Requesting asylum is a long and complicated process. To better understand the process, please read the following which was extracted from the Episcopal Migration Ministry's (EMM) document Supporting Asylum Seekers - A toolkit for Congregations.

Pages 31-35 from A toolkit for Congregations