Dear Future President,

   I've written this letter about a million times, but I could never muster up the courage to send it. I thought that my cries and the cries of millions would remain unheard. Immigration in our country has been a rising issue remains unchanged and only heads for the worse. Recent immigration policies have been breaking families apartand giving less opportunities for legal immigrants.

   My mother has been living in the United Statesfor 27 years under Temporary Protected Status. Every 18 months she has to renew her work permit (since she was 13) and renew her license 3 times a year. This costly process is done on a salary of about 14,616$ per year. The cost of living in Miami is much way above that. This barely supports my mother, nonetheless, me. She cannot apply for financial aide, which limits her educational and career opportunities. If she pays for her own education she pays out-of-state tuition. The most frustrating part they're are millions of people like my mother, yet there is only way to change their path. Have a child and wait 21 years. The scariest part Temporary Protected Status is temporary, which means it can be revoked any time. Before the 21 year long wait is up. What is puzzling to me is, I can vote at 18. I can go to the military at 18. I can buy cigarrettes at 18. All very important and crtical decisions; but, I can't petition for the woman who gave birth to me at to become a resident of the United States. Meaning she has to wait 8 more years to be a citizen. 8 more years so she can travel, and vote, and have access to basic healthcare. Have you ever thought how this hurts us as a country? As a people? The families are broken apart, leaving a growing population of parentless children whoo fall victim to a toxic underepresented system that will never allow them to reach their full potential. A whole group of American citizenswill be lostand not contribute to our economy. This future generation will probably need to use our welfare at the cause of not giving them and their families the same opportunites as the all-American family. These families pay taxes, work hard, and have the no criminal records. Yet, persisting xenophobic ideology believes that immigrant steal jobs abd committ crimes. This stigma has lead to a stagnant reform. 

   As president you have the opportunity ti educate thr population. Help realize, our voice, our vote matters. We live in a nation of immigrants and xenophobia should be the last thing on the poltical agenda, because on the constitution it says that we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. On a final note, Crèvecoeur asks "What is an American?" I say it's all of us who want our progeny to be successful in this golden land of opportunity.

Sincerely,

Graciela A. Da Cruz