Gaspar Marcos experienced an outpouring of love and support after a mini-doc by the Los Angeles Times about his life as an unaccompanied immigrant youth went viral. Now, the high school student wants to use his new platform to help others like him gain financial and legal support.
Within the days of the video’s release on Facebook, the L.A. Times informed its followers that a GoFundMe page had been set up for the teen by the director of Casa Libre, Federico Bustamante, who has worked with Marcos for approximately three years.
Half of all donated funds will go towards setting up a savings account for the 18-year-old that will be used to help supplement his income and advance his education, according to Marcos’ GoFundMe page. The other half will go towards helping some of his peers at Belmont High School and Casa Libre. The following message, written by Bustamante, explained exactly how Marcos’ donations will be allocated:
“This will mean securing representation to address their immediate legal needs and eligibility for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), asylum, and other forms of immigration relief. We will also be providing scholarships for recent graduates of Casa Libre (and friends of Gaspar) that have continued on to places like Cal Arts, Humboldt State, San Francisco State and CSUN. Every dollar pledged will go directly to providing invaluable assistance for our unaccompanied students who are leading by example.”
The page also features a video message (seen above) from Marcos thanking his supporters for their generosity and encouraging lawyers to volunteer for Kids In Need of Defense, a nonprofit that provides legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant youth.
To learn more about Marcos’ incredible story, watch the mini-documentary below.
H/T mitú