The new fundraiser, titled "Ayuda para Jordi y su Familia tras Redada de ICE," was created by San Diego resident Kenia Esquivel, who identifies herself as the pregnant wife of Jordi - one of the four individuals detained during the worksite enforcement operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a Facebook post promoting the fundraiser, Esquivel explained that while her husband was released on bail one month after the raid, he has been unable to return to work due to legal constraints. The couple has a three-year-old child and is currently experiencing financial hardship.
"We ask for your help since my husband is the sole breadwinner in our home," wrote Esquivel. "We would appreciate any help, no matter how small."
The post was accompanied by a photo of the couple and their child and linked to a bilingual GoFundMe fundraising page reiterating their need for support during this "extremely difficult" time. As of this writing, the campaign has raised just $5.
However, the launch of this second fundraiser has prompted confusion - and concern - among some community members. In the immediate aftermath of the ICE raid, a group of anonymous South Park neighbors and business owners organized a separate GoFundMe titled "Support for Detained Buona Forchetta Employees," which has since raised over $129,000 to benefit the same four individuals and their families.
According to organizers of that original campaign, the funds were intended to cover legal fees, lost wages, and basic living expenses for all four workers affected by the raid. The campaign's first major update, posted June 4, indicated plans to establish a nonprofit to manage and distribute the donations. However, a follow-up update on June 28 acknowledged complications with that plan and announced a shift: the donations would instead be transferred to an IOLTA - a regulated trust account managed by the immigration lawyers representing the detainees - to ensure secure and timely distribution. The update also stated that the funds would be split evenly among the four impacted families.
"Once the families receive the funds it is up to them to decide how they will best be used to cope with this ongoing hardship," the update read.
The emergence of Esquivel’s new GoFundMe, launched July 8, suggests that at least one family may still be waiting for that promised support - or believes that the existing fund is not adequately addressing their needs. It is not currently clear whether Esquivel's family has received, or will receive, their share of the original fundraiser. The organizers of the larger campaign have not publicly responded to the creation of the new effort.
Complicating matters is the continued anonymity of the original GoFundMe's creators. While the page is signed by "South Park Neighbors & Small Business Owners," their identities have never been formally disclosed. Organizers previously claimed to be working closely with GoFundMe and legal professionals to verify beneficiaries and secure approval for fund disbursement, but the lack of transparency has fueled skepticism in recent weeks - especially as time passes with no public confirmation that the funds have reached their intended recipients.
In a request for comment from GoFundMe representatives, SanDiegoVille received the following statement on June 21: "Our team continues to work directly with the fundraiser organizer to execute a distribution plan and help ensure funds safely reach the intended beneficiaries as indicated in the fundraiser description, in accordance with our terms of service. This includes verifying IDs and additional documentation, as is our standard verification process. During this process, funds remain safely held by our payment processors." The email response was unsigned and did not include the name or title of any specific GoFundMe employee.
Buona Forchetta, meanwhile, has seemingly distanced itself from the fundraiser, though ownership did issue a public statement expressing heartbreak over the raid and affirming support for employees. Owner Matteo Cattaneo has not been charged with any crime, though an unsealed federal warrant details a lengthy investigation into alleged labor and immigration violations, including accusations that the restaurant knowingly accepted fraudulent green cards and failed to pay workers proper wages. The federal investigation reportedly remains ongoing.
