"I am afraid to go back, but I need my freedom."

by Freedom for Immigrants

From a letter sent to FFI from KA, most recently detained at Adams County Correctional Center

I have the honor most respectfully to write you this letter. I'm from Ghana. I travel from my country to USA because I am a homosexual and it's not acceptable and is an abomination in my country.

They put me in a cold cell for about 16 days before transferring me...

I entered into the USA on May 16, 2019 in California and I was arrested by the border patrol officer and they put me in a cold cell for about 16 days before transferring me to Mississippi in one of their detention centers. I went to my credible fear interview and they couldn't get a translator for me so I was transferred to Louisiana to appear to an immigration judge who [would] decide what to do.

I saw the judge in Louisiana about one month later. So the judge gave me the go ahead with my immigration process. I asked for a bond hearing and he gave me a date for the hearing. When I went for the bond hearing the judge denied my bond and he said that he deined me because I don't have a family in the USA. My sponsor was my family friend. He is a close friend of my mum and his a USA citizen and a retired soldier but they still denied me.

I am now on deportation, feeling alone, depressed and scared.

Moreover, I continued with my case until I got my last immigration hearing for asylum and withholding of removal, which was also declined, on November 21, 2019.  The painful part was I paid my lawyer $3,000 but I still lost my case. I am now on deportation, feeling alone, depressed and scared. I have been detained for almost 10 months now and even though I am afraid to go back to my country, I really need my freedom too. So I have already given up, [choosing] to deport myself rather than spending more time locked up and treated like a criminal. This is my first time being locked up. I have never experienced this in  my life.

Furthermore, I'm feeling so bad, more than the word depressed. I'm now even taking medicine to be able to sleep because I stay up all night with feeling sleepy. I really want to get out from this place, to be released here in USA or in my country Ghana, even though I am afraid to go back, but I need my freedom.

May God Almighty bless you. Thank you very much,

Yours faithfully,

KA