Free Ricardo Hernandez-Navarrete

This month, families are living through what some parents jokingly call “May-cember.” The endless sprint of recitals, sports banquets, graduation, prom, and more pack the calendar with milestones — the emotional and logistical complexity that accompanies the process of growing up.

This year, I can’t stop thinking about a family that had that all stolen from them overnight.

Three years ago, Ricardo Hernandez-Navarrete and his mother, Liliana, came to Chicago from Colombia after fleeing an extraordinarily dangerous situation. That’s the core of what this country is supposed to be: a place that is not just a safe haven from those escaping violence, but also a place where they can thrive.

When Ricardo and Liliana arrived, it was the dead of winter. Ricardo walked miles through a city completely foreign to him to find the indoor facility where Mather High School’s soccer team practiced. His passion and talent for the game were remarkable, and he has even earned a spot on Truman College’s fall 2026 team.

This past March, Liliana and Ricardo were told to report for a hearing about their asylum case. But there was no hearing. It was a trap set up by ICE to detain them.

Because Ricardo had just turned 18, ICE separated them – and then shipped them out of state and jailed them. Ricardo has missed his soccer season and the end of his senior year. He’s been sitting in a jail instead of a classroom.

They did what they were supposed to. They applied for asylum. They got Real IDs and work permits. They reported for check-ins. They worked hard, went to school, and built a life.

This is what the Trump administration means when they keep insisting that they’re going after “the worst of the worst.” It’s Orwellian.

In a reasonable world, Ricardo would be held up by our government as representing the promise of America. Instead, they entrapped him, unlawfully detained him, shuffled him through eight different detention facilities, and are now holding him in a county jail that leases beds to the Department of Homeland Security. Family advocate Kristy Morrow told me that just this week, Ricardo met someone serving a 60-year sentence for a serious violent crime.

Thanks to a recent judicial decision, Liliana was released, and as of just a few days ago, she is home–but Ricardo’s release remains in jeopardy. She is bravely speaking out and calling for her son to be sent home to her. He has a bond hearing next week, but we don’t know whether the judge will approve bond at all, or if he does, what it could cost.

Here’s what gives me hope: this barbarism is not popular. Most people in this country do not support what Trump and his crew of anti-immigrant zealots are doing. Most people look at a picture of Ricardo and Liliana, and their humanity kicks in, and they think — “this is wrong, and we have to do something.”

And we can.

Share this story, and others like it. Reach out to immigration support organizations in your area and ask how you can help. Donate to the Navarrete family’s GoFundMe to support their legal case. If a judge approves bond for Ricardo, it could be a huge expense for this family. Let’s make sure they can cover the cost.

Earlier this week, Senator Dick Durbin shared this family’s story on the Senate floor. Kristy and Liliana have spoken to dozens of media outlets, and every day this heart-wrenching story about our neighbors continues to gain more attention. The Trump administration wants everyone who’s horrified by their actions to be demoralized into silence. We can’t allow them to win. Let’s keep the pressure on. Let’s get Ricardo home to his family, where he belongs.

— Daniel