aileen r. California

Deportations

Why do you want to separate families?

Dear Future President,

                Do you know how many undocumented people there are in the United States? The answer is about 11,000,000. Just like the Statue of Liberty reads "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door”. All of these people come to the States looking for the same thing, the chance to work and make a better living for their families. Their kids or even they wanted a better education. By coming to this country they didn’t mean any harm, because just like any American, they are looking out for the well being of their kids. According to “immigrationimpact.com” they stated “there were 72,401 individuals who were deported and had a kid or kids who were born here in the United States. This means that thousands of kids were separated from at least one parent.” I know this because I know what it’s like to have a parent who is undocumented and not being with them. At the end of sophomore year, my mom got her appointment to get her VISA. She had to go out of the country for the appointment. During the process, everything was approved up to the day of the actual appointment. They declined her VISA which meant that she couldn’t come back into the United States. Getting this news wasn’t easy, losing my mom was even harder. She is my rock, the person that I went to for every little thing. See I don’t get it how the government says that children matter and that they will go to an extent to protect the citizens of the United States. I was born here in the U.S, so where does my protection go? Does the government not think that a 16 year old girl, who was never separated from her mother, doesn’t need her only parent? 

The immigration problem and deporting people isn’t only affecting the community in which I live in. It’s affecting millions of families who have undocumented family members. Many United States Children lives are being affected by the separation of their parents. According to “Immigrationimpact.com” they stated “…U.S,-citizen children, many of whom end up in foster care facilities after their parents are deported.” I on the other hand was lucky enough to have family who was willing to take me in. If it weren’t for my sisters, my aunt and my best friend Esther Quintanilla, my whole life would have been turned upside down. I have the best support system that anyone could ask for in a time like this. The point of me writing this letter to you isn’t so you could feel pity for me; it’s for me to get you to understand that separating families isn’t the solution. Putting Children through that isn’t the right thing to do. All I ask is for you to consider thinking about what this so call problem is doing too many United States citizens.

                                                                                                                                     Sincerely,

                                                                                                                                                  Aileen R.