S3E06 with Matthew Collin Marrero - Holding On To Love Through The Unthinkable

Matthew Collin Marrero is a New York City–based singer, songwriter, and published poet ... an artist whose work lives at the intersection of identity, advocacy, and truth. Through his voice, he’s spent years telling stories of resilience and self-expression. But nothing could prepare him for the story he’s now living.What began as a routine immigration interview with his husband Allan quickly turned into something unthinkable.After arriving with what Matthew described as “a three-inch binder of their entire life”... photos, letters, proof of love ... the interview took a sudden and chilling turn. Within minutes, the tone shifted. They were separated, questioned harshly, and then ... without warning ... Allan was taken away in restraints by ICE officers.That moment would begin a devastating, months-long ordeal that is still unresolved.  Allan was moved through a maze of detention centers across the country, New Jersey, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and beyond, often in the middle of the night, with little explanation and no sense of stability. At one point, he was held in overcrowded conditions in the Everglades, describing cages, overflowing toilets, and the constant fear of being forgotten.Meanwhile, Matthew was left on the outside trying to track his husband across state lines, navigating a system that felt, in his words, like psychological warfare.Through it all, their love was tested in ways most of us can’t imagine.This is not just a conversation about immigration.It’s a story about love under pressure … about resilience in the face of injustice … and about what happens when the system meant to legally process people on their pathway to citizenship, instead begins to break them.I know both Matthew & Allan would welcome your prayers and to hold the space for Allan, and the countless others detained, to return home to their loved ones.  To follow Matthew & Allan's remarkable love story, you can find Matthew at https://www.instagram.com/collinmarrero/ and Allan at https://www.instagram.com/i_am_raylandon/Michael & Allan's community has set up a GoFundMe page to help them put a dent in the costly legal fees incurred during their diligent fight to get Allan home.  https://gofund.me/989abf3b7 Every little bit helps! Send us Fan MailThank you for joining us and we can't wait to welcome you back again next week! New episodes drop every Thursday and can be found wherever you find your favorite podcasts!  Remember to like, rate, share and subscribe to the JUST DO YOU. podcast in order to receive our weekly episode updates!  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review at Apple Podcasts! To follow us on Instagram, visit: https://www.instagram.com/justdoyoupod/ Want to learn more about our host, Eric Nicoll?  Visit:  https://ericnicoll.com