Exactly a year ago, I sat in a cold conference room as a stone-faced senior official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told my husband Ravi Ragbir that he was being detained. Ravi’s lawyer and I desperately tried to convince the officer not to detain Ravi – there were still legal avenues we were pursuing to prevent his deportation. But the officer just became more aggressive, and Ravi was handcuffed and escorted out.

This is the first of a series of short interviews with Quakers who have worked or currently work closely with AFSC. Oskar Pierre Castro is the Philadelphia coordinator for Quaker Voluntary Service.  Oskar previously served as coordinator of AFSC’s  National Youth and Militarism Program. He now serves on AFSC's Board Program Committee and the Board Community Equality and Justice Committee.

Sophia: What does being a Quaker mean to you?