Detained Durham teen finally on path to come home
DURHAM (WTVD) -- Wildin Acosta's mother, Dilsia Acosta, is thanking God. She's been spending months in prayer just hoping for the news she has finally received, that her son is able to come home.
On a Thursday morning in January, ICE agents took the then 18-year-old Acosta into custody as he was leaving for school. Soon after, he ended up in a detention center in Georgia, awaiting word of deportation.
Acosta came to the U.S. to flee dangerous conditions in Honduras and his family was already here. However, Acosta supporters say he moved to the U.S. after January 1, 2014, which is a cutoff date for many under President Barack Obama's immigration plan.
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Since then, his teachers, friends, education leaders and even lawmakers have been fighting for his release.
"This case was not just an immigration case, it was an asylum case," said North Carolina Rep. G.K Butterfield, who said Acosta was fleeing violence in Honduras.
"Wildin's life was being threatened every day and he wanted to leave and come to America where his parents and other family member reside," Butterfield said.
Now, seven months later, on Wednesday there was finally a bond hearing scheduled for the 19-year-old, but it was canceled. Instead Acosta's attorney, Evelyn Smallwood, received a phone call Wednesday morning. She was told ICE entered into an agreement for a $10,000 bond for her client.
Having filed for that request last week, she had already warned Acosta's family and supporters of the amount. They set up a GoFundMe page and within barely two days, the donations came pouring in.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE OR DONATE TO ACOSTA'S FUND
"Throughout the night it kept adding on, the donations kept coming through," said Viridiana Martinez, who has been working to help Acosta and his family since he was taken into custody. "Sure enough, we wake up this morning to $10,000!"
In fact, donations have since topped $10,000. Scrolling through the page you can see people have donated from as little as five dollars to more than two hundred dollars. Many left messages of hope, wishing Acosta luck, saying they've been following his story and that they hope he can return home.
The help from the community with donations and with rallies in Acosta's name have been overwhelming for his family and supporters.
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Butterfield noted the effort many in the Durham community made for Acosta and his family.
"It speaks volumes about the character of people in Durham, I'm so proud that they stood together because this day could not have happened without their unyielding support," Butterfield said.
Dilsia Acosta is thanking everyone who donated and prayed for them. In Spanish, she said her son will now be able to be a teenager again and follow his passions.
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The next step is to pay the bond and have Acosta released. Martinez said they can access the money within the week. Acosta's attorney said then they'll move his case back to the Charlotte Immigration Court.
"Then we will continue to pursue his asylum application with the Arlington Asylum Office, which is part of USCIS," said Smallwood.
She went on to say that the goal is to get asylum granted with the asylum office, and then to get the proceedings in Charlotte terminated based on Acosta's asylum grant. If he's granted asylum he will have refugee status for one year, and he can file for lawful permanent resident status and after five years he can become a citizen.
