Thomas Amanuel is a refugee from Eritrea who left his country when he was 1 year old with his mother. They left in the middle of a war of independence, and right before a military coup that deposed the emperor. They lived hidden or 3 years before coming to the US.If deported Thomas would be sent back to a country he does not know, and which has no record of him due to the political instability of and the changing regimes. 

At 38 he is a valued worker in a small business in Portland, Oregon, where he has lived since he was 5. He is the main caretaker for his elderly mother, Elsa, who is a U.S. citizen. He also volunteers in his community and helps his elderly neighbors and other immigrants from Eritrean community in the Portland area.

If it were not for bad legal advice that his mother received when they first came to the country, Thomas could be a citizen like her. Now, a simple theft conviction has not allowed him to naturalize. The charge was the result of a plea bargain that Thomas agreed to, even though he had no appropriate legal representation and little understanding of his options. This charge, and a DUI conviction from almost 10 years ago, are the factors ICE has relied on to detain and place Thomas in deportation proceedings.

Thomas has been in immigration detention for almost a year in Tacoma, but had been held in detention before for 3 years. Then he was recently transferred to California, where it is much harder for his family and community to visit and support him. They fear that his transfer means that he could be deported at any moment, even while his attorney files requests to review his immigration and criminal case.