Neighbors raise funds to help local asylum seeker appeal case

By Katie Burke

When Guadalupe first arrived in Floyd in 2023, fleeing violence in her hometown in Mexico, for the first time in years she could begin to rebuild her life.

Corrupt locals in power in Guadalupe’s town had sought to punish her and her family for standing up for their local doctors and hospital, which these vigilante authorities wanted to close because of its association with the government. 

As the situation escalated, Guadalupe and the oldest of her four children were beaten repeatedly. Then, she and her family were forced from their home. She went to her parents’ house to figure out where she could go. Her husband had left her while she was pregnant with her youngest, and she had few work opportunities, making ends meet washing laundry. 

“I managed to enter the United States legally through the Civil Parole process,” Guadalupe said. “My siblings helped me get to Virginia.”

The organization Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers was founded in 2018 by longtime local Tara Orlando, who left the Dominican Republic and came to the United States at age 12 as an American refugee. 

“I remembered how hard it was to be here when I did not speak English,” Orlando said. She and volunteers in her organization help asylum seekers with their daily needs, such as transportation, health care, child care, and paperwork. 

“When I met Tara, it was the greatest blessing of my life,” said Guadalupe. “It was a radical change. I felt valued — like I actually mattered as a human being. Before that, I had been made to feel worthless, like our rights didn't matter.”

With the help of her siblings and Orlando, Guadalupe and her children could finally recover. Over time, she got a visa and a job. “Here, I’ve found peace and tranquility, and I’m happy because my children are in school,” Guadalupe says. “People here have been a huge help — so many good people.”

Guadalupe has been slowly making her way through the long process of seeking legal asylum in the United States. But her timing is unfortunate as more and more immigrants in Virginia — and across the country — are being denied asylum. According to Syracuse University's Transactional Records Clearing House, one out of two asylum cases was denied in Virginia in 2024; by 2025, it was one out of five. All signs indicate that the situation has worsened further in 2026. 

“Before 2026, none of the 81 asylum seekers we support had ever received a final hearing,” Orlando explained. “But those who came during the Biden Administration are being fast-tracked.”

Guadalupe’s hearing was in early July, and her case for asylum was denied. “My own lawyer told me that my case used to be viewed as dangerous,” she said. A year or two earlier, a case with her evidence likely would have been granted asylum. But she hasn’t lost faith. 

Guadalupe can appeal her case, but she only has until Aug. 1 to raise the thousands of dollars for legal fees that she needs to do so. She has 30 days to file her appeal and needs to get the legal fees to her lawyer before then. 

That’s why the new nonprofit True Colors Appalachia, which fundraises for locals in need, is teaming up with Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers to help her raise those funds. As of July 24, about half of the needed $3,100 has been raised.

You can give to Guadalupe’s fundraiser here: https://www.truecolorsappalachia.org/product/ffas-family-emergency.

Learn more about Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers online at https://www,floydfriendsofasylumseekers.org.

Please note that Guadalupe is not the real name of the asylum seeker in this case. A pseudonym is being used to protect the individual from retribution and discrimination. Additionally, all quotes are translated from Spanish.