Chamillionaire, the Houston rapper who made the ubiquitous “Ridin’ Dirty” (big ups to Krayzie Bone), has declared his intention to help a man who was deported by ICE earlier this week despite living in the United States for 30 years.
Jorge Garcia, a 39-year-old from the Detroit area, has lived in America since he was 10, but because he lacks proper documentation and Trump ended DACA in September, Garcia was deported back to Mexico and separated from his wife and two children.
After years living in the U.S. for 30 years, a 39-year-old immigrant in metro Detroit was deported this morning to Mexico. Escorted by ICE agents, he said bye to wife and 2 kids before boarding. He was brought to US from Mexico when he was 10-yrs-old, too old to qualify for DACA: pic.twitter.com/KFPeweaMbG
— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) January 15, 2018
Garcia told CNN:
“I kind of had it in the back of my mind that something like this was going to happen, but I didn’t think it would happen this soon. I thought I still had a little bit of time.”
I wrote last week about the wildly aggressive and ideological actions of ICE since Trump took office last year and this is the latest example of wayward, dangerous, and misdirected policies that hurt American families.
But luckily we have leaders that are willing to step up to injustice and defy the powers that be. One of these leaders is the great Chamillionaire (real name Hakeem Seriki), who is now a tech investor, and wrote the reporter of the Jorge Garcia article to offer his help.
This is not a joke. I actually got an email yesterday from rapper Chamillionaire (of Ridin’ Dirty fame, the song that goes, They see me rollin,’ they hatin’) after he read my story on Jorge Garcia being deported. He wants to help him. pic.twitter.com/ZBJvcbTKRf
— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) January 18, 2018
Mashable reported on Chamillionaire’s offer to help contribute for the Garcia family’s legal fees:
“Garcia and his family are going to keep trying to get him back to the U.S., but while he’s out of the country, Seriki wants to lend a hand with finances — Garcia’s family has apparently already spent $125,000 on attorneys and filing fees, according to Warikoo.”
This isn’t the first time Chamillionaire has stepped up to use his platform for good. After Hurricane Harvey hit the rapper’s hometown of Houston, Chamillionaire started a Youcaring fund to help the Houston community.
Abolish ICE. Shoutout to Chamillionaire.