Who we are
Who we are
our story
The Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (QDEP) is a grassroots, nonprofit organization founded in 2014 to support and empower LGBTQIA+ and HIV+ immigrants who are or have been detained in immigration detention centers.
Born out of the need to address the abuse, neglect, and isolation these populations face—particularly people of color and asylum seekers—QDEP’s mission is grounded in abolitionist values and led by directly impacted people.
QDEP is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action (CTA), an educational 501c3 nonprofit organization that is legally and financially responsible for all our activities.
Meeting this moment
QDEP is operating during a period of unprecedented pressure on LGBTQIA+ and HIV+ immigrants. The asylum backlog has reached historic levels, ICE continues to target queer and trans migrants disproportionately, and systems meant to provide safety housing, legal services, and mental health care are strained to capacity. At the same time, LGBTQIA+ migrants face heightened criminalization, xenophobia, and violence, often without access to culturally competent or trauma-informed support.
Despite these challenges, QDEP remains one of the very few grassroots organizations led by and for LGBTQIA+ immigrants organizing at the intersections of detention, deportation, policing, and community safety. While many groups provide direct support, few are building sustained collective power among people directly impacted by immigration enforcement. This makes QDEP’s organizing model critical in this moment.
We’re a small team with a bold vision.
Olando Charles
Project DirectorOlando Charles is the Project Director of the Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (QDEP), where he leads initiatives that support and empower LGBTQ+ individuals impacted by detention, incarceration, and systemic marginalization. With a strong commitment to social justice, Olando works to build programs that center community leadership, advocacy, and access to critical resources for queer and transgender people navigating the criminal legal and immigration systems. Olando brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, community organizing, and program development. His work focuses on strengthening partnerships, expanding access to services, and advancing policies that protect the dignity and rights of LGBTQ+ communities. Throughout his career, he has worked with grassroots organizations, faith communities, and public institutions to address issues such as economic mobility, leadership development, and community empowerment. Grounded in a deep belief in restorative justice and collective liberation, Olando is passionate about creating spaces where queer and gender-expansive individuals can build leadership, tell their stories, and shape the policies that affect their lives. As Project Director of QDEP, he continues to advance the organization’s mission to support community members directly impacted by detention while advocating for a more just and humane system. Olando is a 2021 40 under 40 Labor Rising Star recipient featured in NY City and State Magazine and a Caribbean Media Impact Award recipient 2024.
TRANSpire Peer Group FacilitatorDelilah Crawford
Delilah is a Black, West Indian woman of a trans experience who has both served as a member and Board Member of QDEP and as a group facilitator. Delilah cultivates a peer space for trans members through the TRANSpire Peer Group that is unapologetically anti-racist, queer and proud. This group is grounded in solidarity, shared experience, and learning from each other’s differences. Combatting isolation, Delilah breathes community and critical resources into the groups she facilitates.
Our Board of Advisors
Our Board of Advisors
Uchechukwu Onwa
Black Diaspora Liberty Initiative
Nirvana Garcia
Anacristina Fonseca
Abigail Wolf
Envision Freedom Fund