The Mami Chelo Foundation was born from resilience, courage, and an unshakable belief in the dignity of every human being. Founded by Cuban-Canadian immigrant Yanet Candelario, who survived more than thirteen months in U.S. immigration detention, the foundation stands today as both a testament to survival and a call to action for justice, compassion, and humanity.
After arriving in the United States in 2013 seeking safety from abuse and hoping to reunite with her close-knit family of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, Yanet instead found herself detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite having a pending green card application and no criminal history. Torn away from her young son and loved ones, she endured prolonged detention marked by denied medical care, ignored grievances, and retaliation for speaking out against abuses she witnessed inside detention.
Rather than surrender to fear, Yanet became an advocate not only for herself, but for countless others trapped in silence. While detained, she taught herself how to navigate the legal system, filing complaints with the American Civil Liberties Union, U.S. Senators, and members of Congress. Speaking out came at a tremendous personal cost, but it also revealed a deeper purpose: to fight for those whose voices are too often erased behind detention walls.
In 2017, after more than a year of incarceration, Yanet won her freedom through a habeas corpus petition, becoming the first “arriving alien” in the Third Circuit to secure release under those circumstances. A $10,000 bond finally allowed her to walk free and reunite with her family.
Her journey did not end there.
A multilingual professional with an accomplished international career, Yanet Candelario is also an award-winning actress, producer, and writer trained in Cuba, Canada, England, and the United States, as well as a business development specialist educated at Humber College. Today, while pursuing Board of Immigration Appeals accreditation and studying entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School, she dedicates her life and experience to defending immigrants impacted by detention and deportation.
“What happened to me was devastating,” says Yanet, “but it revealed my purpose: to be a voice for those silenced by fear and confinement. Everything I had lived through prepared me for this work.”
The name “Mami Chelo” honors the woman whose spirit continues to guide this mission: Gloria Consuelo Salazar Fonseca, lovingly known as Chelo — a name associated with consolation, comfort, and care. As a maternal figure who helped raise Yanet and devoted her life to serving family and community, Mami Chelo represents the compassion, dignity, and unwavering love that the foundation seeks to extend to every person it serves.
Today, amid escalating immigration enforcement and the growing trauma inflicted on immigrant communities across the country, The Mami Chelo Foundation works to expose injustice, support impacted families, advocate for those in detention, and restore hope where systems have tried to destroy it.
This work is deeply personal. Every family supported, every person accompanied, every life defended is a reminder that immigrants are not numbers or headlines—they are human beings deserving of safety, dignity, and belonging.
By supporting The Mami Chelo Foundation, you become part of that mission. Your support helps uplift detained individuals, stand beside families in crisis, challenge systemic injustice, and ensure that those suffering in silence are not forgotten.
Because no one should be punished simply for seeking safety, family, and a chance to belong.
