Chantal Waldorf is a Philadelphia drag performer and fashion designer known for creativity that other queens have proudly worn on stage. This week, Chantal was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the city's drag and LGBTQ+ community is reeling.

Chantal, a Nicaraguan immigrant also known as Manuel, built a life in Philadelphia around hard work and craft. In a statement shared on Chantal's Instagram, supporters described someone who "has dedicated himself to being a hardworking person, who has dedicated himself to fulfilling his dreams and goals, who has integrated and contributed in a positive way to society, fulfilling his obligations like everyone else."

Chantal's detention follows a federal decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Nicaraguans in 2025, stripping protections that many had relied on for years. It's part of a broader immigration crackdown that has swept up people with no violent criminal history, many of whom entered the country legally and built their lives here in the open.

Friends and fellow performers have rushed to help. "Philadelphia is currently short of an incredible mind, and creative force," said Cessie Yu Link, a fellow member of the drag community, adding that Chantal "needs all we can send for legal support."

Chantal's community shouldn't have to fight alone to keep a working artist and neighbor in the only home they've built for themselves. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security should release Chantal Waldorf and allow due process to play out instead of fast-tracking deportation.

Sign this petition to demand Chantal Waldorf's release from ICE custody before Philadelphia loses one of its own.