Immigration Equality's
2025 End of Year Match Challenge
All donations, up to $30,000, will be matched by our Board of Directors.

“That trauma didn’t disappear when I got to America. But what began was a quiet, steady journey towards something I hadn’t known before: freedom.”
- Al
Former Immigration Equality client and founder of Automic Gold.
Al's Story
"When I arrived in the U.S in 2009, I had nothing. I was a queer, nonbinary indigenous asylum seeker fleeing a country where being myself was treated like a crime. When my parents discovered I was queer, they sent me to a mental institution to be “fixed.” Being myself was dangerous, and I knew I couldn’t stay. I came to the United States with no money, no community, and without speaking English. That trauma didn’t disappear when I got to America. But what began was a quiet, steady journey towards something I hadn’t known before: freedom.
Immigration Equality took my case, believed in me and helped me win asylum. That protection allowed me to rebuild my life from the ground up. I eventually started Automic Gold, a jewelry brand rooted in Inclusivity. Using trans, disabled, and BIPOC models and designing pieces for everyone. I finally get to live openly, I’m engaged now, planning a family and no longer hiding who I am. Immigration Equality didn’t just help me survive, they helped me thrive."
