Humans of ICE

U_ left Guyana a few years ago and has been living in Queens with his fiancee and three children. U_ was driving near Massena, in northern New York state, where he was hired to work on fitness equipment for the company, P_.

It was early in the morning when U _ pulled off the road to get some sleep because of the long drive. While he dozed off he heard a tap on his window.  He saw the lights behind his car and knew there was going to be a problem. He believes it was local law enforcement who then connected with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB). They took him to Malone for eight days and then he was transferred down to the Broome County Jail where he has been detained since mid-January.  

His fiancée, Y_, works long hours at a mental health facility in NYC, while also caring for their 3 young children, one of whom is special needs.  She has been coming weekly by bus, leaving New York City around midnight and arriving around 4 AM. She visits U_ in the afternoon and returns late afternoon or early evening. 

Y_ says her kids, who are under 10 years old, keep asking “Where’s Dad?” She tells them that their father is away working.  She is getting calls from school that their grades and behavior have declined.  She is making mistakes at work because she is carrying so much responsibility and uncertainty.  Y_’s stepfather was also detained by ICE in a separate incident that same month, leaving her mother and other members of her family too vulnerable to help other than childcare on the days she takes the bus to visit U_.

Interview by Rev. Tim Taugher & Christina Zawerucha, February 16, 2026. Art by Anna Liu and Blue Magnolia.