Dear Future President,

I am writing you this letter as an 18 year old immigrant in the United States. My name is Abel Acosta I was born in Mexico and was brought to the United States at the young age of 6. As you can imagine I didn’t have a choice. My family and I came to the United States 12 years ago and have been affected by a huge problem that affects many immigrant families. Deportations affects thousands of immigrants and their families in this nation called the land of opportunity but we are taking that opportunity away from them when we deport them back to the countries when they just want to better themselves and situations they are in.

We are not just talking about a few thousand immigrants here and there because over Obama’s term as president he has deported 2.6 million according to ABC News. Let that sink in for a bit, 2.6 million families that are affected because immigrants don’t just come to this nation for themselves they come to help their family that either came with them or their family they left back home. Why are we having people live in fear here when this nation prides itself on freedom. What really gets to me is that people that are doing nothing wrong but providing for themselves and giving back to this nation by paying taxes are also being deported. According to FactTank.org “The obama administration deported a record 438,421unauthorized immigrants in fiscal year 2013” (240 thousand weren't criminals).Let’s get this straight more an half of the immigrants that were deported weren’t criminals. How can we do that to people that are contributing to the nation in a positive way. Yes, you might say what about the other but why deport them, why not help them and put them in programs to get them to contribute to this nation in a positive way.

“Sanchez said he found a home in New Haven after he legally emigrated here from Mexico with his mom and his brother as a teenager.”, said in an article written by Ryan Caron King. He isn’t the only one that his has happened too, this happens everyday to many children. Being brought to the United States as children with their family for a better future. The United States doesn’t help them what they try to do is send them back to the nation they came from. But they are not going for the children they are going for their parents. This has happened to me that’s why I deeply care about this issue so much and think we need to address it now. My father was deported when I was in 8 grade at the age of 13 years old. I woke up one Wednesday morning not knowing that i will never see my dad since that day. My mother gave me the call that I was dreading that call that i won’t see my father in many many year. How can a 13 year old focus in school when he knows that, that day is the last day he will see his dad which as i’m writing this is five years and counting. Now I look at this as a young 18 year man and i’m seeing my little brother growing up without a dad, a dad that use to take him to the park everyday and yes you may ask you can just take him to the park but that not the point, the immigration system has taken his dad and any memories he could have had like those that he made with him at the park. No one can replace a parent to a child what can I say when he ask me, when will dad come back? And you don’t even know the answer yourself.

I’m not asking you to give every immigrant citizenship but I am asking you to look deeper before any deportation. Why separate families when we can help them live the dreams that they came to this nation to live. I am asking you to make an immigration reform that they can work to and not live in fear of what’s going to happen to them tomorrow or the next day.

Sincerely,

  Abel