Small Acts of Courage.
One Big Movement.

Lauren Maes is an East Grand Rapids resident who, in early 2026, came across the story of Gonzalez — a 27-year-old Venezuelan man, a documented immigrant with a Michigan driver's license, an employment permit, and a social security number — who had been detained by ICE on his way to work at Amazon while his wife was 8 months pregnant.

Lauren had learned of Gonzalez through a grass roots group of volunteers who had mobilized to support detainees at Geo Group's Northlake Detention Center. After making a few connections on Facebook, she set off to visit the facility with a car full of passionate advocates. It was inspiring.

Gonzalez had no criminal record. He had done everything right. And yet, he sat inside this for-profit ICE detention center with a $50,000 bond hanging over his head and no way out.

"His wife had her baby — their first daughter — in the hospital, and he wasn't there for the birth. He missed that. You can't get it back. So, it pisses me off."

Lauren had never met him. She owed him nothing. But when she learned of his story, she didn't hesitate. She paid the $50,000 bond herself, reuniting Gonzalez with his wife, son, and the newborn daughter he had never met.

That act of courage didn't end there. Lauren founded Free My Friends — turning her personal sacrifice into a movement. She's now raising funds through GoFundMe with a mission to cover legal fees and support families torn apart by unjust detention.

"I wish I could do it for everybody."

She's trying. And with your help, she can do more.