The Mami Chelo Foundation was born from resilience, courage, and an unshakeable commitment to justice. Founded by a Cuban-Canadian immigrant who survived more than thirteen months in U.S. immigration detention, the organization stands as both a living testament and a rallying cry for human dignity in the face of systemic cruelty.

Detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite having a green card application pending and without ever committing a crime she came to the United States in 2013 to escape abuse and reunite with her close-knit family of American citizens and Legal Permanent Residents. Instead, she found herself behind bars, separated from her young son, and subjected to inhumane treatment: medical care denied, grievances ignored, and retaliation for speaking out about abuses she witnessed.

During her incarceration, she became a self-taught advocate, filing complaints with the American Civil Liberties Union, Senators, and members of Congress. Her stand against injustice exacted a personal toll, but also ignited a relentless mission that continues to this day. Ultimately, she secured her release in 2017 through a habeas corpus petition, the first of its kind granted to an “arriving alien” in the Third Circuit, posting a ten-thousand-dollar bond to walk free.

Beyond her legal fight, she is a multilingual professional with a rich and varied career, an award-winning actress, producer, and writer trained in Cuba, Canada, England, and the United States, as well as a business development specialist with formal training at Humber College. Now, while earning Board of Immigration Appeals accreditation and studying entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School, she channels her skills and personal experience toward one goal: defending the rights of immigrants impacted by detention and deportation.

“What happened to me was devastating,” she says, “but it revealed my purpose, to be a voice for those silenced by fear and confinement. Everything I had done before was preparing me for this.”

The name “Mami Chelo” honors the woman whose spirit guides the work: Gloria Consuelo Salazar Fonseca, known affectionately as Chelo, meaning “consolation” and “comfort.” As a maternal figure who helped raise her and lived a life of unwavering service to family and community, Mami Chelo embodies the compassion and care the foundation strives to provide.

In the midst of escalating immigration enforcement and the trauma it inflicts on communities nationwide, The Mami Chelo Foundation fights to expose injustice, demand accountability, and restore hope. Quietly, steadfastly, it carries the mission forward rooted in the belief that no one should be condemned to suffer simply for seeking safety, family, and belonging.