Free Yari! Stop ICE’s Injustice Against LGBTQ+ Migrants
John Cantu, ICE Field Director
Sign this petition to demand the immediate release of Arbella “Yari” Rodríguez Márquez
Yari must be freed before it's too late.
Arbella Rodríguez Márquez—known as Yari—is a lesbian woman with legal U.S. residency who has built her life in Phoenix, Arizona alongside her partner Sonia. On February 10, 2025, while returning home through the Nogales border, Yari was kidnapped by ICE and taken to Eloy Detention Center.
Yari has chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a serious illness. Since her detention, she has lost over 55 pounds and her health is rapidly deteriorating. On June 24, her deportation officer, G. Martínez, denied her release, knowing she could die within those walls.
Eloy Detention Center, operated by private prison company CoreCivic, is notorious for horrific conditions:
- LGBTQ+ people are harassed and segregated daily by guards, officers, and other detainees.
- More migrants have died at Eloy than at any other ICE facility in the country.
- Chronic illness is ignored, and lives are put in danger.
- People are coerced into signing “voluntary” deportations.
- Trans people are denied hormones and essential medical care.
- Migrants are forced to sleep on the floor.
ADD YOUR NAME. Stand with Yari. Stand with trans and queer migrant communities.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
John Cantu, ICE Field Director
From:
[Your Name]
We write to demand the immediate release of Arbella Rodríguez Márquez, a lesbian woman with U.S. legal residency who is currently imprisoned at Eloy Detention Center.
On February 10, 2025, Yari was detained by ICE, torn away from her family and stripped of her residency.
She has chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a serious medical condition. Since being detained, she has lost over 55 pounds, her hands are swollen, and her health is in rapid decline. On June 24, your officer G. Martínez denied her release, knowing full well this could lead to her death.
Yari is not alone. She is a beloved member of Trans Queer Pueblo, a community of over 500 LGBTQ+ migrants of color in Phoenix. We stand by her. Our city stands by her. And we will not stop until she is free.
Let us be clear:
Eloy Detention Center is a death trap where LGBTQ+ people are segregated, denied adequate medical care, and forced into silence. Migrants are coerced into signing so-called “voluntary” deportations.
People with life-threatening conditions—like Yari—are left to suffer.
And under your leadership, Arbella Rodríguez Márquez can be the next death at Eloy Detention center if you don’t release her immediately.
We demand:
- Immediate humanitarian release of Yari.
- Medical care outside of detention.
- No retaliation against Yari or others advocating for her freedom.
The world is watching. Every day you keep her locked up is another day of cruelty, negligence, and violence carried out under your name.
Free Yari now.