USA: Stop ICE from targeting LGBT+ asylum seekers
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ICE is detaining LGBT+ immigrants with no criminal record who are following the law, separating same-sex families. Demand they stop now.

Immigration enforcement is actively harming LGBT+ people who came to America seeking safety, punishing them for following the law. 

Since early 2025, ICE has been detaining queer asylum seekers with no criminal record who are complying with every legal requirement, separating married same-sex couples during routine appointments, and targeting people actively pursuing the exact pathways federal law provides. Seeking asylum is a human right recognized under international and U.S. law, yet these people are being detained for exercising it.

Despite the administration's rhetoric about removing "dangerous criminals," the reality looks nothing like that. Here's what's actually happening:

● Jorge Amado Hernandez, a gay man who escaped Honduras following death threats from a local MS-13 gang after he was seen spending time with another man, travels thousands of miles seeking protection in the U.S. He has no criminal record. He gets detained instead of being given a chance to make his asylum case.

● In Washington, D.C., Elias Perez-Zuazo shows up for a routine ICE appointment he's been attending for years. He's married to a U.S. citizen and has no criminal record. He's following every rule. ICE detains him anyway, tearing apart a lawful marriage without warning.

● Xiomara Suarez from Peru walks into her scheduled asylum appointment with her wife waiting. She has no criminal record. She's married to a U.S. citizen and pursuing the exact legal pathway federal law allows. ICE detains her on the spot.

None of these people are criminals. They're asylum seekers doing exactly what the law requires. Across the country, LGBT+ immigrants with clean records who are actively working through the legal immigration system find themselves trapped in detention simply for showing up to required appointments.

This is happening in a broader climate of increasingly aggressive enforcement. On January 24, in Minneapolis, federal agents fatally shot a U.S. citizen during an enforcement operation – a stark reminder of how volatile these encounters have become, and why detention-first approaches carry real and sometimes irreversible risks.

ICE leadership and the Department of Homeland Security control these policies. They set enforcement priorities and detention practices. They can stop this.

Sign this petition demanding that ICE stop detaining LGBT+ people with no criminal record who are complying with legal asylum processes and stop separating same-sex families. Your signature goes directly to the officials responsible and adds to the pressure needed to prevent further harm.

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Goal: 20,000

To Todd Lyons, acting Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security:

We are writing to express grave concern about recent immigration enforcement practices that have harmed and endangered LGBT+ people in the United States.

Since early 2025, ICE has been detaining LGBT+ asylum seekers who came here fleeing persecution and are following every legal requirement. Same-sex married couples are being separated during routine check-ins. People with no criminal record who are actively complying with the immigration system are being detained simply for showing up to appointments you required them to attend.

These aren't the "dangerous criminals" your administration claims to be targeting. They're people following the law.

Recent events underscore the risks of increasingly aggressive enforcement. On January 24, federal agents fatally shot a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis during an enforcement operation, highlighting how volatile these encounters can become when force and detention are prioritized over restraint and safety.

Across the country, LGBT+ immigrants with no known criminal records who are actively working through the system in good faith find themselves trapped in detention simply for complying with your requirements. These are not criminals. They're asylum seekers doing exactly what the law asks of them.

We're asking you to:

● Stop using routine check-ins to detain LGBT+ people with no criminal record who are complying with the legal asylum process. When someone shows up because you told them to, that shouldn't become an ambush.

● End the separation of same-sex married couples and LGBT+ families who have legal cases pending and no criminal record. Family unity shouldn't depend on who you're married to.

Immigration enforcement doesn't require punishing people for following the rules. You can enforce the law without tearing apart families who are doing everything legally required of them.

We're urging you to act now, before more harm is done to people who are simply trying to pursue the protection that U.S. law provides.

0people have signed
Goal: 20,000

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