I am an illegal immigrant. I crossed the Mexican American border with my mom and sister about 10 years ago. I was only 8. The reason we decided to come was because we wanted a better life financially and a better future. My dad came a little bit before us to get money and pay for our crossing. Now my dad which has never got in trouble with the law has been taken away from us. He was deported about a week ago .This has impacted my family a lot especially my 4 year old brother and 7 year old sister that were born here. I have just graduated from high school with a 3.8 GPA and I had many chances of getting scholarships but due to my status I couldn’t. I am not depressed. I have faith not in the government but in God to one of these days see my dad again. There’s a lot of families being taken apart. But since we are the “INVISIBLES" we just don't have all the rights we all should have. Now I lost my dad to immigration and because he got punished by not coming to the U.S for 20 years that’s a lifetime. So many stories like mine, so many families. When is this going to end? |
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Tony
Lincoln, NE
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AMERICA is what it is because of IMMIGRANTS. I hate living day by day wondering if my husband will be here for me tomorrow. 3 years ago I fell in love with a wonderful, good, caring man. He made my dreams come true and gave me the most precious gift any woman could ever receive -- my son. I am a US citizen, born in Poland and my husband is illegal from Mexico. Since he came over illegally there is nothing we can do...stupid! This is my home, his home! How can we live like this? We can’t even meet each other’s families because America is making our life so difficult. We are both very family oriented and it kills me that my husband can’t go to the city where i was born and grew up in . It kills me that I can’t meet his dying mother. |
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Karolina
Las Vegas
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I am from Guatemala, i came to the united states with my twin sister illegally when i was 11 years old in 2003. we have suffered so much. My parents left us when we got to the US. We are consider homeless youths. I have worked really hard to survive in the united states. I have very good grades in high school and have 2 jobs. I am very scared after high school because I have been here 7 years now that I haven’t been in Guatemala and if the colleges that I applied to don’t accept me I don’t know what i am going to do. I don’t have anyone to help me in my country or here. This is horrible that people don’t see that kids don’t choose to come here and still are punished. I have many goals but being here illegally makes it impossible. |
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Adri
Siler City, North Carolina
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I am an illegal immigrant. I arrived thru the American-Mexican border when I was 11 in may 2004. My mother who arrived on a visa in 2001 (which she overstayed) married a non-citizen and therefore she couldn't apply for any adjustment of status. Right now in January 2010, almost 6 years after I first arrived here I still have no papers. I can't get a driver's permit nor a license. I can't work, I am not eligible for most scholarships or even student loans. I can't legally hold a job. This fall I am supposed to go to college, if my parents won't kick me out on my 18th b-day because our relations have been pretty ugly recently. I'm a pretty good student and I honestly do not want to know how much money I could get if I'd have a social security number. I've been depressed for about a year now. What's worse is that my mother simply doesn't even try to listen to the things that trouble me. She wants me to get a job but to be honest I don’t want to work under the table. What if l go get a job and they'll ask me to bring a ss card? With the current immigration system I can't even legalize myself thru marriage. My only hope is either an amnesty or the dream act. |
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Adam
Ridgewood, New York City, NY
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I am American citizen married with two children 11 months and 2.5 years old. My husband is a Romanian citizen who was deported because his previous wife accused him of a fraudulent marriage. So they cancelled his green card and I couldn't petition for him. I don't have any family members in USA. And I don't know how I am going to survive with my two kids without their father and his support. |
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Ana
Miami, FL
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| I am an American citizen that has been married to an illegal immigrant from Mexico for nearly 12 years now. We have 2 daughters, ages 12 & 6. My advice to the people on this site is just to live under the radar, because at the end of the day, we have no choice. I've consulted lawyers, same as everyone else, but I knew not to shell out big bucks for something that will never happen. I live with the daily fear of the possibility of having my husband deported, but until the laws change, I know that I have no choice but to suck it up. Unemployed Americans want someone to blame for their financial problems, & politicians have found a convenient scapegoat. (Politicians will NEVER be in our corner because our loved ones can't vote). I wouldn't go near INS if my life depended on it, because they are just wolves in sheep’s clothing. If my husband was deported, I can promise you he would jump the border again to be with his family. Stop waiting around for the government to help you because THEY DON'T CARE, so why should we? Do what you have to do to reunite your families. |
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Julie
Charlotte, North Carolina
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I came to the USA on a K1 visa and married my American fiancé who is now my husband. We have a child together plus another child I came with from my previous marriage back in my country. Its been 3 years now since I came to the USA. My husband has refused to file for adjustment for me .What do I do? I am here in the USA illegally even after marrying my husband within 90 days of my arrival to the USA. Secondly I can’t go back to my country as my husband would want me to leave our child we have together but that on my part means I would not be able to come back in the future as it would be difficult to get a visa because I am here illegally now. What do I do in this situation? |
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Renee
Fredericks, MD
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I am an illegal. My older sister and my mom and I immigrated to the United States in 1989. At that point I was 3 months old and my older sister was 4 and my mom was 21. My father moved to Los Angeles 5 months prior and had no idea my mom just crossed with my older sister and I. How my mom crossed us over illegally is nothing short of amazing, Now at the age of 20 I’m waiting to go to work for nothing more than minimum wage, struggling to pay for school. I’ve lost so many scholarships, so many well paid jobs. It never does get easier when someone says those dreaded words: there’s nothing I can do, I can’t join the United States navy to serve MY country. And each and Every day I wake up being grateful for what I got gets me through the next day. I hope one day I will achieve my goals without a 9 digit number standing in my way. |
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Name not given
United States
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I am a United States Citizen and my husband is a Mexican. I have 3 wonderful girls and am now a single mother because my husband has to be in Mexico. I and my girls have been depressed. It's been almost a year that my honey is away and let me tell you it's been so hard emotionally and mentally. My youngest child is battling with a severe depression and may I say I am too. I just try to be strong for them. When my husband had his appt. we were so optimistic thinking he was going to be home because he is a hard worker and has never been in trouble with the law, but to our nightmare he was denied his waiver stating there was insufficient evidence of hardship! Can you believe this!!!!We are depressed. How can they separate families especially hard working ones. I've sent letters from our doctors, counselors, ect. and nothing, no response from them. It's really sad. It's just not fair. |
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Silvia
Avenal, California
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My parents, my sister and I came to the US in 1984 in hopes of a better opportunity. I was five and she was three. We attended school like every other child does and were basically living a better life than the one we had back home in Colombia. Throughout the whole time we were here my parents tried very hard to obtain legal status but for some reason nothing was ever resolved. My parents worked hard and saved money. They bought their first house and paid their property taxes, did everything they needed to do to be the perfect model citizens. With no legal status I knew I had to do something so I fell in love and got married to an American Citizen of Jewish and Polish descent. We had a child and after I obtained my citizenship I petitioned for my parents and my sister. This was April 2007. By this time my sister was attending FMU and my father was paying for it with his hard earned money. She graduated in June 2007 with a AA in Criminal Justice. We were so proud everything was going good. I was pregnant with my 2nd child and she was going to be in the delivery room with me just like she was with my first. She was the first to go to college so we were very happy and proud of her. Then on July 3 2007 our lives were changed dramatically. I say dramatically because we never thought that my little sister could get deported. They came to her condo early in the morning with the excuse of the security at her door. She was getting ready for work and they took her before we could not do anything for her. It was completely out of our hands. Our family was distraught. It's been almost 3 yrs and if you could imagine coming from a close family nothing is the same. Thanksgiving which was our favorite time to be with the family is no longer the same. My kids are missing out on spending time with their aunt. It's not fair. She was paying for her condo and had excellent credit. She worked and graduated. She had dreams of becoming a detective and now it's gone. |
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Carolina Yednak
Miramar, Florida
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I was married in 2001 to a Mexican man. He had all of the qualities that were lacking in anyone I had met before. He was hard working, honest, and wanted a family. I wanted the same things, so we married and started a family. We did everything right. We started a small business, bought a house, and decided to get a lawyer to make everything legal for him, so we would never have to worry again. Two years and 2 months have passed since our appointment at the US consulate in Juarez Mexico. I have been alone in the US with my children, and have lost everything that we ever worked for. I thought that my husband would return last week, but when he went to his "last" appointment they told him that he needed another physical and would have to wait for an appointment...2 weeks or so they said. Well, If I don't pay the mortgage by Monday our house (the last thing I was able to hold on to) goes in to foreclosure. I try to be strong, I don't like to cry in front of my children. The worst thing is I have given up. I have nothing left. I am no longer proud to be an American. I feel like a sucker, and I hate myself for having children before finding out that their father would be thrown out of the country and treated like a dog for trying to do the right thing. No one understands. People always say thing like, " he must have done something!" "The US would let him back, he has kids here, he must be a drug dealer or something." The United States doesn't care about me or my children. I work, pay taxes, teach my children to be good people. The United States doesn't deserve me. |
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Erica
Grants Pass, Oregon
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In July 2007 I applied to USCIS for I-485 under employment based category 2 (section 203(b) (2)). USCIS mistakenly put my case under EB3 category 203(b)(3) which is highly retrogressed. I have opened 4 service requests, visited the USCIS local office 4 times, wrote to USCIS, faxed USCIS but without any help. Also wrote to USCIS Ombudsman, Senator etc. Because of delays in getting my Green Card, me and my family's life is on hold. We cannot even change jobs or buy a home as our fate is undecided. I don't know what else I should do to get USCIS to correct their mistake and approve my case. This is frustrating after staying legally in US for 9 years and paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes and fees . |
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GCW
Dallas, TX
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My immigration saga began when I was 16. I am a proud Canadian and have lived in Toronto, Ontario my entire life. My mom was transferred within her company to its head office in Miami. They gave her an L1 visa (intercompany transfer) and I came with her on an L2. We applied for our greencards later that year, and waited. Over the course of the year, I met my girlfriend Valerie. At the end of the year, as we had planned, we both rode our motorcycles to Canada for the summer, and I showed her my home.
Unfortunately, by this time my advanced parole had expired, and I learned that my green card application was put on hold due to the fact that the doctor forgot his signature on the medical. My mom was granted her greencard. Well, the summer ended and Valerie and I tried to return to the US on our bikes via the peace bridge at Buffalo NY. We were promptly pulled off, taken into the building and interviewed, interrogated, humiliated, and turned around. I hate the CBP. Why do the have to hate on you so bad? In any case, it was the hardest moment of my life, to be forced away from the woman whom I love. Damn. Well, I can't return to university in Miami for my second year. That has been placed on hold. Valerie and I are struggling to adjust to living 2000 miles away from each other. But we are managing. As a Canadian, I never felt I could identify with the millions of Latin Americans trying to immigrate to the US. But now I can. I sincerely feel all of your pains and woes. If you keep going to the second border, you'll find a more friendly attitude. Best of luck to you all. |
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Charlie
Miami, FL
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I have lived in Chicago since I was 2 years old. I have no memory of how Mexico was. Sure I have pictures and stories are told to me every day, but it’s not the same. And I don't ever imagine living there. I am proud to say I’m Mexican but I have been raised in America. I am currently 16 and attend high school. My grades are good and I do a lot of extra-curriculum programs and sports. But I sometimes wonder if this is really something good for me. I am illegal and with no idea if I have a good possibility of going to college. All my family is from Mexico with no papers. I also have been denied to many dance clubs because I am illegal. People are still racist. And with a family that has been through a lot sometimes I do stop to wonder what my life would be if I would have been living in my real country. |
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No name given
Chicago, IL
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My fiancé had some probation problems and eventually they caught up with him. With the police looking for him, he decided to turn himself in. He got 23 days in the county jail. On the 23rd day I called to see what time they would release him. A woman told me 11:00am. But once we got there to pick him up, they told us he was on an ICE hold. Later that day I got to visit with him and we both cried. I was about 6 months pregnant. It’s been 6 months since I've seen him and he’s been deported to El Salvador. Our daughter is 7 weeks old now and he's only seen pictures. Immigration lawyers told me I would have to pay over 4,000 dollars to fight immigration and try and waive the 10 year bar they gave him. And that wanting him here for the baby is not a big enough "hardship" to convince them. I pray President Obama really does what he says. Immigration just makes it way too hard for immigrants to be legal here. It breaks my heart not knowing when the 3 of us will be together as a family. I just know we have to be patient and stay strong. God is our strength. |
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Brittney
Delaware, OH
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I came to the states when I was about 9 years old. I'm now 19 years old and an illegal immigrant..I can’t work or go to school like the rest of my friends. I finished up high school but am now stuck with nothing to do. How I wish I never got a taste of the American dream. I could possibly do anything that I wished for in this country but I really can’t cause of my status..My dad that brought me to the country in the first place got his papers cause he remarried after a divorce with my mom. I’m originally from Turkey and will have to attend mandatory military service when I’m 20. If I don’t attend to that I will go to prison when I go to Turkey and be kept double the time in the army which will be almost 3 years. But if I do leave now then I will never be able to come back and will have to speak the language fluently to be able to get an education over there AFTER the service. How I wish my situation was easier. I guess I am not one of the lucky ones and that is a depressing situation. To be 19 years old and cannot do anything that I desire. Cant drive, work, get an education or anything. I’m stuck in life. |
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Justin
Los Angeles, CA
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Although born and bred in Australia, I have felt a natural affinity for the United States since a young age and spent much of my adolescence living and working there. In 2002, I moved to Tucson to pursue my BA in Anthropology at the University of Arizona. Whilst there, I met and fell in love with Aaron. We wed on April 5th, 2005 and life could not have conceivably been better. I received my conditional green card almost immediately.
But after only a year and a half together, Aaron left to start his PhD program in Canada and I had to stay behind to see out the last semester of my senior year at college. Trying to maintain a long distance relationship took it's toil and Aaron and I separated. The dissolution of my marriage was the most painful experience of my life, so you could imagine my dismay when my petition to remove the conditions of my status was denied and I was ordered to appear for removal proceedings in immigration court.
A couple of months after leaving Aaron I was accepted into a prestigious post-graduate program in Scotland. I checked with USCIS and was given legal leave to exit the states for the duration of my program. While I was LEGALLY out of the country studying, they denied my status and refused to let me back despite informing me I was legally BOUND to somehow, magically, appear in court in Phoenix and that if I failed to appear at my hearing I'd be summarily deported. How is that democratically or legally possible?
As it stands right now, I am fighting this from exile in the U.K. I have shelled out almost $10,000 USD and the punches just keep coming.
Do you know why USCIS in all their infinite wisdom denied my petition and handed me over to Homeland Security and the Department of Justice for judgement? Because they measure the legitimacy of an immigration marriage by the accumulation of joint assets, without any consideration for extenuating circumstances. Aaron and I were 21 and 22 when we got married, full-time undergraduates and part-time student workers. We were able to rent a studio apartment the size of a shoebox and his parents were kind enough to give us a car as a wedding present. We were not in a position to accumulate joint assets or wealth. So when asked to demonstrate that I entered into the union in "good faith" I'm sorry to say that love without a mortgage or something to show for it is just not enough. I don't care what it takes, I'm going to get to my hearing, stand up there and ask them what we did wrong beyond being young and broke? Don't fall in love unless you've got the bank to make it look legit. |
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Chelsea
Tucson, AZ
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When I was a little girl, there was war in Iraq and I had to come to America without any of my friends or family. I didn't understand what was going on at the time and later on found out that I was adopted. I recently found a letter that my father and mother wrote. It said why they sent me here, to get a better life and that they loved me. I was trying to find a answer of where my family was. Then I heard that they all died of a bombing that targeted their house. I cried so much... When I graduated, I found the most wonderful gift, next to my adopted parents was Hama and Kasi, my parents. |
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Christina
New York, NY
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My husband was in the united states for 8 years but he was granted voluntary leave to his home country in Guyana about 2 years now and it really hurts because im a single mom and my baby boy needs him in his life. |
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Rohanie Singh
Brooklyn, NY
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I’m 17 years old. My father is a U.S resident who brought me here when I was only 4 years old. He never made the effort to help me get my papers situated. What he didn’t realize is that the decision he was making was going to affect my whole future. I am currently pregnant and will turn 18 in December of 2009. I’m in my last year of high school with a dream of finishing and going to a beauty school and get a license to open my own salon and support my child and myself. I have been trying to figure out what there is I can do. I have been here over 12 years and this country has became my home. I have been loyal to this country and have not gotten in any trouble. I have no felonies or anything against me. All I want is to get my papers fixed so that I can give my child a better life style and support that I didn’t get. |
Juli
Grand Rapids, MI
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My husband and I went to his interview in CD Juarez in late June of 09. My husband (Agustin) has been in the USA since he was 13 yrs old. I am an American Citizen and we have three children who are all citizens as well. Adriana 14, Gabriel 9 and Miguel 5. During his interview everything was going well. The Counsel that attended him stated his case did not look bad and he may have to apply for the waiver. Turns out, he rec'd a 10 yr ban. Our immigration system is wrong in so many ways. It was such a terrible feeling to have to leave my husband in Mexico and come back home to Chicago on my own. It has only been two months but it feels like two yrs. When will our voice be heard? When will our childrens' voices be heard? Why don't we have the right to have and keep our families united? |
Leonor Magana
Chicago, IL
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Long story short, my husband was brought here by his parents from Cuba. He has been here 47 years since he was 6 years old. We went and filed to adjust his status 5 years ago and it was denied, filed appeal right away, still waiting. We also had filed employment auth in which he already had but attorney said we had to do it as a package, we did. We call and INS sends us a letter stating we will hear something in 90 days, called back 3 times same story. Last letter now said we will hear in 6 mos.
Kim
Lapeer, MI
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My son is a CPT in the U. S. Army - 10+ calendar years of service - met his wife while stationed in Korea, but had to send her to the Philippines to marry. They were engaged for four months before they married, and she was pregnant two months before they married. The twins were born four months after they married. We cannot get citizenship papers for the twins, born in Aug 2008. CPT Parham has held his twins 12 days of their 1 year old life. He requested papers in Dec, 2008, and we are now in Fed Court, and the State Department is arguing that a single family environment does not harm the children. These are American Citizens they are refusing to allow to enter the country, not to mention that no papers can be filed for his wife until the twins situation is settled.
R J Parham
Hempstead, Texas
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I am a 40 year old mother of the most beautiful 2 year old on the planet. Her father is from Brazil and as of today it has been 14 month and 3 days since we were last together. On Tuesday 6/30/09 our waiver request was denied and we have to wait until 2018 to reapply. My husband was in the USA for 4 years. He paid taxes into Medicare and Social Security with a tax ID number my government gave him! Our daughter carries his picture around daycare with her everyday and cries for him every night and I get to cry after the day is done. I have reached out to Washington, Local Government, The press, The Media, Hollywood, Talk-Shows and NO ONE GIVES A DAMN! My husband left to get documents to prove he has no criminal record in Brazil, which he did! He had no criminal issues while he was in the USA. But they only have to say I don't prove Extreme Hardship. I just have a lonely heart. I would like the person that said that to live a day of my life and see what extreme hardship really means! That must be why they never meet with the American relative. It’s much easier to say no to a piece of paper then the face of a mother, wife and a small child! My heart goes out to anyone caught in this nightmare and shame on those that pass judgment without knowing ALL of the faces of immigration.
Diane Batista
Phoenix, AZ
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My cousin Silvia and I left Cuba in July 1, 1961 when I was 13 and Silvia 12. We were told within 1 week that we will be leaving to the U.S. and not to mention it to anybody. The airport scene was sad for me as they confiscated all our jewelry that we had since birth and our coin collection. I can see my parents and 6 year old brother from the glass and touched hands that way. My brother was crying so loud that I can still hear it to this day. We arrived in Miami and someone was waiting for us to pick us up and feed us until our flight to New York later that day. We did not speak nor understand a word of English but were blessed that we had relatives already in NY who had come from Cuba months earlier. I lived with my grandparents in Brooklyn, NY and because I was always very closed to them, did not feel the emptiness I felt. It was almost 4 years later when my parents and brother came to the US after living in Mexico for 6 months. I know now the sacrifice my parents made to let me go.... I can't even imagine ever doing that with my children and I am sure they had such a void in their hearts because of it. I wished I would have stayed with my parents and come when they did because I missed them so much.
Perla Chiaffitella
Aberdeen, NJ
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I was born in Mexico. My mother brought me at the age of 8 months. My mother never made the effort of fixing my citizenship. As I got older in my early teens I started getting in trouble never thinking about my future. Now I’m 34 years old andI have 2 daughters. I’m talking to a lawyer to see what I can do to fix my citizenship but it doesn’t look good. I have a felony and was deported back in 1996. To start my paper work I would have to leave the States. Me and my wife stress about it all the time. All I know is the American life. My wife is born here. My 2 daughters are 4 and 5. I think about their futures and it just chokes me up. Too bad I didn’t know what was up with life back then. I guess that’s what happens when you come from a broken home. All I can do for now is to wait to see if Obama passes a good immigration law that could benefit me and my family.
J R Gonzalez
Los Angeles, CA
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My husband is from Mexico. His mom is really sick and he had to go see her. It’s been five years since he has gone to see his mom and dad so he left to go back about two weeks ago. My children and I miss him very much they cry for him almost every day. What I want to know is if there is anything I can do to help him to come home. He doesn't have a passport or visa, he never has. How can I help him to get one? I don't have a lot of money. I only have enough saved to live on and pay bills till he comes home again. Just the I130 form is $355.00 and they don’t know how long it would take for the USCIS to let me know if they will let him come to the USA.
Holly
New Iberia, LA
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I am a U.S. citizen and so are my two little girls (3 and 4 years old). My husband was taken into custody in December of 2008 and deported to Argentina after being in jail for almost 2 months. He didn't leave when he was ordered because he was misrepresented by a notario (whom he didn't realize at the time were not proper representation). Many immigrants don't understand all the processes when they enter the U.S. and get taken advantage of and my husband was taken advantage of. He tried to fix his case to no avail and when I got pregnant, he received his final denial paperwork. He didn't leave because I did not want to raise our first child in Argentina as he said many areas were not safe. So he stayed and he got picked up in December. We lost our home, our jobs, our cars...everything but each other. My children and I moved to Argentina with all of our belongings shipped there but were only able to stay for 2 months as we had gone from a beautiful home in North Carolina to poverty in Argentina. My children and I experienced depression and my husband could not bear to see it so he sent us back to live with my mother in the U.S. He has a 10 year bar from returning for not leaving on time. He has no criminal record, he had a SS# and paid his taxes, he had full medical, dental and life insurance. He was a stand up citizen and contributed so much. We are going to our congresswoman who has agreed to meet with us once I have all of the paperwork in order. This is a tragedy that should have never happened.
Melanie
Artesia, CA
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I am 25 years old and this is my story. I was born in the city of Monterrey in the state of Nuevo Leon in Mexico. My parents took me to the US illegally when I was 7 years old. From the age of 7 to 17 I had an everyday life of a kid in the US, going to school, learning and just being part of my community. When I was 17 years old I made some wrong choices with someone who at the time I thought was a friend of mine. I got in trouble with the law and did 1 yr in jail, after that I was deported to Mexico with both of my parents in 2003. It has now been almost 6 years and I married my high school sweetheart who moved to Mexico to be able to be with me and have the happily ever after life that we were supposed to have. I have an 8 month old son that was born in Mexico and is a US citizen because of her mother, but we are here because of me. We have been living in Mexico for about 4 years now and we would do anything to try to be able to restart our life in the US with our son, but we have no idea where to start. We both have ''good jobs'' in Mexico and have bought our own home and working for a US company in Mexico but with the wages and the everyday life costs we are unable to look into getting a lawyer. We really want to be able to provide the best for our son, but that is not a possibility here. In the city of Monterrey just a couple of weeks ago there was a shootout between the military and the all too common drug lords that are taking over literally about 2 miles down the road from where we live, and we constantly get harassed by city transits, because we have a car from Arkansas, with AR tags in an attempt to get money from us. Thank you for reading, all that I ask is that you say a short prayer for me and for my family so that we can find some light at the end of this dark tunnel.
Carlos
Monterrey, NL
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My parents are illegal immigrants that came to the U.S. in 1985. Luckily I was born here in 1986. My parents decided to move back to Mexico since they had left my two older sister in the care of my grandmother. I was only 8 months old when we moved back to Mexico. When I turned 8 yrs old my parents decided to send me back to the U.S. in order to go to school and have a successful future. One which I couldn't obtain in Mexico. Now I'm 22 yrs old and am filing to petition my parents to become Resident Aliens. I will be having my appointment in Ciudad Juarez in a couple months. What worries me is that my father was deported in 2002 for crossing the border illegally and my lawyer tells me that he will have to wait 10 yrs in order for him to try to come to the U.S. unless we file a pardon. What should be my next step if that happens to him? Can anyone please tell me what to expect, I'm so scared because my father is a good person who just wants a chance to work and provide for his family of now 8 children. He will be devastated if he has to wait 10 yrs. I wish laws would change and for people to open their eyes and see how much pain they are causing us and our loved one. I pray for all of you who are going through this. It's so hard being away from my parents. I pray to God for the best!
Concepcion
Huntsville, TX
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I came to USA in 2008. My parents sent me here so I could study and get a diploma and then a better life in the future. I have no papers and I live with my oldest brother. He came to USA like 3 or 4 years ago to get a better job and keep his family stable. He is married and they have no papers either and they have 2 little girls. They were born here and they study now like me and I hope to accomplish my goals but we are scared to be deported.
Isaac
San Diego, CA
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I am a US citizen, and I went to Morocco in 12/2003, and married a Moroccan citizen, he is still my husband to this day. On 03/2004, I started the immigration process to bring my husband to the US. It is only supposed to take 180 days for case to be looked at and reviewed a second time, but it has been 3 years, and my husband and I have still heard nothing from immigration. I have called to inquire about our case at least 200 times. I also took our problem to the state representative in my city 2 different times. They offered help but not the kind of help that would bring my husband here to the US. I eventually became so tired, I stopped calling immigration for answers. I want to know if someone out there would know information about how to help me and my husband's situation be better. Thank You
Andrea
Raleigh, NC
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I have been living in this country for 10 years and I pray to God that he may help me and my family in the challenges still to come. I’m 14 years old and learned how to speak English fluently when I enrolled in school at Beaumont TX. I have a mom and a dad and two sisters. My sister will want to be driving next year but as you all know she can’t get her license if she doesn't have social security. My little sister always gets scared when we say immigration is out in Beaumont cause she knows what will happen if they catch us. I really would like to go to college here and get a good education. I would like it if one day Obama gave the people who have been living here for a long time an opportunity so that we can show people who we really are. I cry my eyes out some days cause my dad wants a good job. There was one month where we didn’t eat anything but noodles cause he hadn’t worked for a month. All he can do is construction, he works on roofs. He's been doing it for a little more than 21 years and he really does a good job. My mom hasn’t seen her mom for about 15 years. I would like for someone to put themselves in my shoes for about one year. I would like to be a vet when I grow up. It really breaks my heart that after all these years of tears and waiting for something to happen, nothing happens and we'll just lose it all.
Jonathan
Beaumont, TX
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Growing up in the United States was not hard for me; for my mother however it was very difficult. Not only was learning English difficult for my mother, but the move was also very hard because she had to leave her family back in Mexico. I know that my mother wants me to be successful because she did not have the same opportunities I have now. I never fully appreciated all that my mother risked for us in coming to the United States until I started growing older.
My mother and I immigrated to the United States fifteen years ago when I was two years old. I still have flashbacks of being crouched in the back seat of the hot car with my mother so that the officials would not see us when they were inspecting the car. My mother wanted to take this risk because life was difficult in Mexico and when she had me she knew that the future would be unclear. After fifteen years in the United States we were able to receive our green cards which gave us the chance to visit our family back in Mexico after thirteen years of not seeing them. Traveling back to Mexico was an eye opening experience which truly helped me understand how many opportunities I have to succeed here in the United States. I was surprised that in Mexico going to school is optional. At first I thought that not going to school was a privilege, but the truth of the matter was that students had to drop out of school in order to work. This also surprised me because the average amount that was earned working at a restaurant was only fifty dollars a week! I thought this is no way to live your life.
Being a senior now, I am much closer at the American Dream by being the first in my family to go to college and having a chance of success. Growing up, my mother always stressed the idea of a good education. Something that she would not be able to give to me and that I would have to provide for myself. I never quite understood this concept until high school. In tenth grade I realized I would have to improve my grades in order to have a chance of getting into a good college, and ultimately work towards a successful future. Up until my junior year I was not doing I was not doing the best I could, but I was able to turn everything around and get As and Bs my junior year which made me very proud. This proved to me that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. This year has been very stressful for me but I still managed to keep my grades stable. I have spent countless night writing essays for scholarships and trying to do my homework at the same time. I have received three scholarships from colleges I have applied to which makes me very proud!
Not only do I find going to college an accomplishment for myself, but I feel that for any immigrant going to college is a way to pay tribute to those who have died in trying to achieve a better life and for those who do not have the same opportunities as us here in the United States. My goals for college are to create clubs to raise funds for poor communities in third world countries. I want to be an entrepreneur and own my own restaurant someday. As a young Hispanic I feel we have much more to offer to America than just our hard labor, and college is the opportunity for us to get the education we need to make these dreams come true!
Katia Aguirre
Charlottesville, VA
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After 4 years of marriage my husband and I decided to file for his papers. We did not know that it would be such a difficult and long process. During his first interview, I was 6 months pregnant. After his first interview, he was eligible to apply for a pardon, they requested for more evidence. Since then, we have hired a lawyer that pretty much hasn't done anything. He has been in Mexico for about 8 months, living in poor conditions. My daughter was born without knowing her father, and she is now 4 months old and has only seen him once. During the first four months, she required medical examinations due to a kidney cyst. It is very difficult for me to take her to all of her doctor appointments and so forth. My husband was the sole provider of the household, and since his departure, I had to move in with my in laws in a small room to share with my 4 month old daughter. This is supposed to be the happiest time of our lives, and we're supposed to be enjoying our new family. My husband is no criminal, and is being punished for seeking a better life in the states. He didn't cross the border with false documents. While he was here, he worked two jobs, went to school to study English, paid his taxes. I don't get what he's being punished for? I only pray that the process will change and that all of us that are going through this will someday look back and think of it as something that made us stronger. Good luck to you all! May God be with us.
Idaly
Long Beach, CA
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My husband came here in 2001. His mother was sick and he needed to help her and the rest of his family. We married in 2003 and in 2004 he did voluntary departure. They (immigration) told us he would be gone for 3-4 months...it turned out to be 2 years and 9 months. We had a lawyer but he ripped us off and did nothing for us. I found the Immigrate2US website and the wonderful people there gave me advice on my hardship letter...I didn't even know we needed one ...so I ended up sending it 5 months after our I-601 was submitted......and we were approved. They also gave me friendship and encouragement. They helped me up when I felt I couldn't go on. This website saved my sanity and I will forever be grateful.
Sandi
Charleston, WV
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I am a child of an illegal immigrant. That makes me one as well. I have been living here in the US over 7 years. Now that I’m 18, I do not know what to do. I can't go back. America has become my home. This is the place I want to live in. I want to make a difference in the world and I know I can if I can just be given the chance to. I’m graduating high school this year and there is no way I can afford to pay for college tuition since it will be treated as out of state and there is no scholarship for illegal immigrants. My parents worked very hard so that I can have a better life, so that I can be given the chance to make my own destiny.
Helen
Gaithersburb
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My parents moved us here when we were very young as legal residents from Monterrey Mexico. I was twelve at that time. I went to school here and got married, have three children and several grandchildren. All had been well until the day someone broke into our vehicle and stole my purse along with driver license, social and green card. I reported it to the Pasadena police but when I went to get my driver’s license and social, I was told that I needed my green card. This all started in Feb and here I sit in March unable to get anything done because everyone wants proper identification. I have been to immigration several times with birth certificate, expired license and all I have to identify myself but to no avail. Sure I should of became a citizen long ago, but it’s one of those things you don’t think about on a daily basis with work and all on your mind. I think I have done well for myself, never even had a speeding ticket and yet these people look at me and talk to me as if I was an idiot and had just killed someone. The immigrations laws leave a lot to be desired and the time it takes to get anything done through them.
Irma
Pasadena, Texas
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I am a U.S. citizen who has two beautiful children with a Mexican immigrant. We have been together about four years, were not married because we have no idea where we can marry. My boyfriend Luis was pulled over on March 14th 2009 with his little brother of 16 years of age in the car. The State Highway Patrol of Ashtabula Ohio didn't waste a minute after pulling him over to call immigration of Erie, Pennsylvania.My boyfriend and his little brother were taken into custody for about 24 hours and then released. They have a court date set on April 7th of this year, and there is a big chance they will be deported. My two year old son cannot live without his father, and my three month old baby will never get to know him. I'm lost to understand how court is going to go, and I'm scared to know there is a chance I will be alone raising them both. I understand people dont want immigrants here, and they believe they dont deserve a chance, but what about my children? I love him and we need him here.
Amanda Ttus
Ashtabula, Ohio
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I came to the U.S. from Mexico when I was 12. I struggled to learn English and fight pessimism from teachers and counselors who didn't think I would make it. I graduated high school with honors, a 4.6 GPA, and trilingual (English, French and Spanish). I am currently struggling to finance my education at UCLA since I don't receive financial aid. I want to be a doctor some day. I know I have what it takes to make it to a prestigious medical school like harvard but the only thing I don't have is clinical experience because in order to do that I need a background check and thus a SS#. Now I do not know whether my dream will come true. Let's pass the DREAM ACT this year!
Christopher
Los Angeles, CA
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I am a 29 year old US citizen born and raised in Iowa, who married a really great man from Mexico, who unfortunately, was illegal. Jose had come here in 1996 and left in 2000. He went back to help his dad since he was sick, and when he returned he had been caught, sent back same day, w/o presenting in front of a judge, and retried and made entry. While being here a lady who works for the INS out of CA offered many people the right to legalization but assuming another identity from another country. I wasn't with him at that time, we were just friends. He as many took this opportunity, but only used this name and INS papers to work when he was laid off from his construction job for a few months. At the construction company he worked at he used his real name, but a different SS#. He applied for ITIN number so he could do all his back taxes and keep them current. He learned English, and tried to live like any US citizen here. I can't say he has been perfect, he did get a OWI first offense, but he paid his fines, took classes, did his time which were only a few days I believe, but he is a really great person with a really great attitude. We started dating in 2004, moved in together after 6 mo., married 10 mo. later, started buying a house, my father passed away in June '06, Jose adopted my youngest son in 2007, we applied for I-130 through a lawyer in April '07, received visa interview date for April '08 and also had scheduled a waiver interview per lawyer. We went to Cd. Juarez as instructed and while down there we were hit with the worst. The lawyer told us the maximum Jose would be out of the US was 1 year, but we went to do his medical exam, then went back 2 days later for the interview and they told him he was barred from re-entry to the US for 10 years due to his 2001 confrontation with the INS when attempting to cross. Since my husband has been gone, I have lost our house. Now we must live in the low income housing, while we try to get back up on our feet. Congressman King told me that he wouldn't allow another criminal into the US, he wouldn't help with a private bill because my husband was a criminal for being here, and he wrote me telling me that our children and myself could relocate to Mexico. I wrote to President Obama, Senators, Congressman from every state, to the INS in Cd. Juarez and have had few responses. The only real big meeting I have had was with Senator Grassley on a teleconference. He didn't give me much hope, but I hope he remembers our meeting as I remember it. A year has almost passed and Jose is someone we pray for all the time. We can't help but miss such a great person. 1 year out of the country and a fine, should be the most that a family should have to suffer.
Bethany
Denison, Iowa
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I married an immigrant 3 years ago. He is here on a student visa. Our marriage was accepted but due to him leaving his school they denied him his green card. I just found out that he has been seeing another women for the last year and having his baby. What should I do? I will never trust him again.
Dee
Catskill, NY
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I first came here to conduct university studies. I was fortunate enough to obtain a Bachelor, Master, and PhD degrees. When I went back to Honduras, I realized that political connections, and economic class trump education. After four years of struggling over there, I entered a Post Doctoral program in Ohio. Then, I met a lovely lady who soon became my wife. She turned into an abuser as soon as she sponsored my conditional residence. My life was full of constant stress and humiliation. She took economic advantage of the situation. Finally, after 2 years of getting married, my life became so unbearable that I was forced to apply for divorce without having a permanent status. The immigration lawyers I met were incompetent and just after the money. I submitted the petition myself. It was granted in less than two months. This renewed my faith in the American immigration system. However, I recognize that many immigrants go through horrible situations. If you follow the law, the path may be lengthy, but the outcome is usually favorable. I am sorry to say it, but people should not expect to break the law and have a positive result.
Salvi
El Paso, TX
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My husband and I have been married for four years and together for almost 8. We have 2 children together ages 3years and 1 year. In 2007 we contacted a lawyer and began the process of getting my husband his papers. In Sept 2008 we came to Mexico for his first interview and medical exam. He was scheduled to have his waiver appointment on Oct 28th 2008. As of now it is Feb 09 and I am still in Mexico waiting for my husband to be approved so we can take our lives back to the United States. He now has to return to CD Juarez for another appointment due to a reval. of his medical exam. Then another wavier will be scheduled and the decision will finally be made. The point is that I have been living in Mexico for 5 months with my husband and children and do not have sufficient medical attention for my children or enough money living here to support them. Good luck to everyone in the process. It is a long and hard one and very stressful.
Gonzalez
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
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I have lived in the United States for 8 years. I was born in Burma. My family came over here to have a new life. We were chased by the government and our lives were in danger. My family has separated since I have come here. I am adopted and live with a great family.
Tim Boyer
Whitewater, WI
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My husband is my best friend. I can't imagine life with anyone else. His mom brought him here when he was 13 and we met 5 years ago. He was deported while I was pregnant with our first child together and I lost the baby shortly after. He came back because he couldn’t stand being apart and there are all these laws that say that he may not be able to get his resident card because of that. Isn't everyone entitled to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness in this country? I don't know where it says everyone but those born in Mexico. This is ridiculous. But I have faith in God and my Lord Jesus Christ that everything is going to work out for each and every family and individual on this page. We just need to stick together and defend those we love.
Tere
Twin Cities, MN
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My husband came to the United States when he was 4 years old with his mom. They crossed the U.S./Mexican border illegally. Now, 20 years later, he is being punished for something he could not control. Coming here at such a young age, he knows nothing different than living in the United States. While I was 7 months pregnant, he had to spend 5 days in the Lynnwood police department jail for driving with a suspended license and no insurance ticket. We thought it would be simple, just going and spending 5 days in jail and coming home. We had just moved into a new townhouse 5 days before he had to go. While in jail, he had an INS detainer placed on him because he is an illegal citizen. He was then transferred to the Northwest Detention center in Tacoma. In all he was there for 11 days. My mom was going to put his $15,000 bond on their house, however, they did not have enough equity to qualify. My grandma then put the $15,000 on her credit card to get my husband out of jail. My mom is now paying $600 a month on the credit card. We need to hire a lawyer that specializes in immigration and deportation proceedings. The cost of a lawyer is between $7,500 and $10,000. Our son is now 6 months old and our court date is fast approaching. We barely have enough money to make it as it is, let alone enough money to hire a lawyer. If my husband gets deported, my son and I will not have a place to live. My husband will be alone in Mexico because he has NO family there. Either way, our family will definitely fall apart.
Heather
Lynnwood, Washington
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Me and my husband have been married for four years and have two sons the ages of 3 years and 18months old. We have been trying to get him legal for over three years and it has been a long and costly road. He had to go back to Mexico to await for his visa and wavier appointment. We do not know when this will be. Leaving behind me and our children. We opened a little upholstery shop last year when I was laid off from another company that was closing. My husband learned to do the work and we both did the pickups together. Now I'm left with our shop and no income. I pray to God every day that he will bring him home soon. And I pray for everyone else going through this, for it is a hard thing to do. Just keep the faith and pray every day for everyone and for our country’s leaders to also make a change. I love my husband and our life together and I can't wait till he returns to his home.
Melinda Perez Velazquez
Brunswick, Georgia
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I am a US Citizen and have been married for ten years to my husband who is an "illegal immigrant". We have three children together ages 8,5 and 2. He is a hard worker and the best father and husband I could ever ask for. Not once have we ever got any type of public assistance. He pays his taxes and has never been in trouble by the law. It is not fair we have to live in fear day to day that he will be sent back to Mexico. I filed an I-130 5 years ago, spent thousands on lawyers, got all the way up to the interview and found out he would have to go to Juarez Mexico for his interview but he would have to stay there at least 6 mos. I have a friend in the exact same situation but her husband went to his interview and got denied. He’s been there over a year now stuck. His lawyer told them he would only be in Mexico a couple months so you can’t always trust your lawyer.
Nancy
Hutchinson, KS
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I am an immigrant from Syria. I came here on a B1visa then changed it to F1visa. I was in college until my family followed me to the USA. Then I could not afford my college fund so I stopped to take care of my family. After 9/11 the immigration told me I had to register with them. Then they took my passport, F1visa, and my i-94. So I have lived in the USA for the past 12 years without authorization to work. I have done a couple newspaper routes to support my family (which can only support them so far). Recently my driver’s license expired and the BMV said I could not renew my license without papers from immigration. (what papers?!). So now I live in the "land of the free" without a license and the authorization to work. Now you tell me is that fair? I have a clean history with everything. All three of my boy's( 6,10,13 yrs.) do well in school. I don’t drink, smoke, or anything. My main goal is to raise my kids in a free place.
Fadel Yandam
Columbus, Ohio
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I am 22 years old and have been living in the United States since five years ago after leaving my native country Colombia. I applied for political asylum getting denied three times because according to the judge, I had nothing to fear. I went to high school here, finished top of my class, went to college and became an honors student. Got my associates degree and I’m pursuing my bachelors degree in Finance. I have less than 4 semesters left to go and I will be a professional in Finance. I have done over 200 hrs of community service. I have worked very hard not only to pay for my own school but to get the best grades regardless an uncertain status future. I had to learn English in one year and I did it. My life is here now. My dreams are here. I am pursuing the happiness all of us do. And that happiness is the one everybody during the past 4 centuries have looked for when they first stepped on this country. This week I got immigration officers come over to our house. We were scared to death and waited until they left. My family and I had to get out and look to start over in another place. What place? a hotel? a park? an apartment? THIS IS WRONG. Why does this happen in this country? I am working for my dreams, I am working for my future. I am pursuing happiness.
Marcos
Houston
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I am 24 years old. I am a US citizen and married to an illegal who is from Mexico. He has been here since he was 5 years old. We met in high school and fell in love and have a 5 yr old daughter. We are in constant fear of him getting deported. It is not fair. It was not his choice in coming here. He does not know much Spanish any more. He won’t make it down there. I don’t know how I can help get his papers without having him deported for 10 years. It is just not fair.
Amanda
Orlando, Florida
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My husband has been in Mexico for 10 months now. We went to his first interview and he was given a waiver. Then we went for the appointment and the US consulate in Ciudad Juarez said he needed more evidence. I sent more and we have not heard anything. I have a 3 year old daughter that wants her daddy.
Ashley Perez
Reidsville, GA
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I am a third generation US Citizen, who, like many others posting their stories fell in love with a person who came here illegally with family as a teen, escaping the effects of war in El Salvador. I had naively assumed that "the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" included the ability to marry the person you love, even though the path may be a little long or cost a little more. How wrong I am. Because my partner had been deported once before and came back (having no family, no home, no job and no life in El Salvador, his chances for legal immigration were ended although he has two US citizen children (a beautiful 16 year old son and a 4 year old daughter (mine as well)). It saddens me that the innate human drive of family preservation, touted as a value of US Leadership, reduces so many people to living a shadow life, fearful of every knock on the door. In this country, if I dropped my dog off to live without care, without resources and without hope, I could be arrested. Why can't our government figure out a way to be equally as humane to humans?
Joan
Crookston, MN
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My name is Suki. I am a legal and I was born here in the states. I met the man of my dreams here in CT but he came here to the states ILLEGALY AND WAS IN JAIL FOR 3 MONTHS before I even knew him. Everything seemed to be fine. We have been happily married and both of our twins were born here. We own a home and I have my passport (US) but my husband does not. We received a phone call 2 days ago from the immigration services or departments. They told us that my husband was approved for his green card. We all happily celebrated and cried a river of happiness. Today he decided to drive up to Hartford Ct at the immigration services to see what was going on and find out when his green card would arrive. Two hours later I got a call that he was in jail arrested as an illegal alien. My heart is broken. I don’t know what to do or who to call. We have a beautiful home and 2 wonderful children. I don’t know anything about him. All I know is that he is being brought up to Boston MA. What am I to do? The kids are asking for daddy. He’s not calling and I tried calling every person I can to reach my husband. But he’s lost. And it’s been 2 days. As I sit here and write this wishing for hope I just wonder how am I to move on in life without my husband and if he does get deported what am I to do. My kids go to school here. I’m in need of help and have no answers. All of the immigration people I called have no clue about anything but they did tell me over the phone that he is approved! I hate this country. Everything has changed after 9/11.
Suki
Stamford, CT
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I came to the United States when I was 16 years old. I was born in India and my family was having a lot of problems. All my life my mom told me of how wonderful America was and ever since then I have wanted to live there and become a legal citizen. While I was in town one day, in India, I met the man of my dreams. He told me that he was from America and it took my breath away because of the way that he talked about the amazing place. He asked me to marry him only after knowing each other for a couple of months. I said yes because I felt that I was truly in love with him. He took me back to that United States because he knew that it was my dream to live there. After three years of being married and getting my green card, I finally become a legal citizen. I guess that dreams do come true.
Tanushri
Chicago
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I came to the United States in 1993 to visit my pen pal. We ended up falling in love, and he asked me to marry him after we were together for five years. During the time that we were together, our only way of communication was to continue to email. I would visit him when he was off work for holiday vacations. After we married, we were together for two years, then got a divorce. But to become a legal citizen, we had to be married for three years. After the divorce went through, I decided to become a legal citizen and get a green card. Now I have the same rights as all Americans.
Fredricka
Houston, Texas
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I was married to a U.S. citizen for less than a year. I would say he financially used me and verbally abused me. Despite our differences I stayed by his side and hoped for the best. After getting the notice for our interview he called me at work and told me if I don’t pay his bench warrant he wouldn't go to the interview. So I paid for it. During the interview the officer asked me and my lawyer to step out. My hubby was in the room about an hour then he finally came out saying he decided to withdraw his petition for me. I’m now out of status. I consulted a few lawyers and they all said I’ll get deported some day and the only way I can stay legally is to remarry. Is there a different way? What visas can I try to apply for? I can be banned for life if my ex-hubby told the officer he was just helping me which wasn't true.
Peachee
Jacsonville, FL
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comments to this posting HERE
I was introduced to my fiancée by my niece two years ago in Guyana. I went back two more times and we fell in love. After her sponsorship was approved in the US, I attended an interview on the 30/July/2008. The young American Consulate, gave her a 221G and placed our case under administrative review. I am a naturalized US Citizen and he treated me like dirt, so I now feel being a citizen means nothing. I came back, spoke to my lawyer and he could not do anything, I spoke to my Congressman. He did not do anything. I kept calling the American Embassy in Guyana and they gave me no answer. After four months they reply to my e-mail, saying your petition is being returned to the Department of Homeland Security because you have been unable to establish that your relationship is not solely for immigration purposes, and further said that we reiterate that you are welcome to marry and file a new petition for your spouse I130. I gave the Consulate more documents than he ask me for, and they did not ask for any other documents. I love my fiancée very much, she is 43 year old and I am 50. I am a law abiding citizen, have a good job, never been on the system in this country and am a very hard worker, helping my fellow Americans in flood like New Orleans and other parts of the country. I came in this country legally, and work my butt off. I am almost a Senior Citizen who is in love and wants to live that little extra years that life has to offer in happiness. God Bless America, but my faith is in the wrong person’s hands. I wish someone can do something about my situation, Thank you for letting myself be heard.
Frederick
Florida
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I was brought to this country by my mom when I was 3 months old. I did not know I was born elsewhere until I was in high school when I found out that my mom brought me from Mexico to escape from my real dad which I never met. I am currently struggling with getting a job and going to school. With the whole social security issue I don’t know what to do. I have never been out of the country. I left my mom's house when I was 15 years old and now I am 20. I left because I had a lot of problems with her husband. I currently lived with my best friend and I am tired of not getting ahead in life. I need help and I don’t know what to do.
Jonathan
Highland
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I have been with my husband for 5 years. We have 3 beautiful children ages 7,4,and 10 months. We have known each other for over 10 years. He is my best friend and the love of my life and in March they decided to come in our home in front of our children and take my husband. He is from Mexico. We have been working on his case since 2003 and they took him like he did not have nothing here and they sent him back to Mexico. So here I am raising 3 children on my own and it is very hard since I do not work and he was the main supplier in our family. My children ask to see their dad every day and its hard because he was always there and now he is not. I think it is wrong for people to treat people so wrong even if they are illegal. They are the same as Americans or better. They come for a better life and to just take someone’s mom or dad away is not fair for the children.
Kristi
Noblesville, IN
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I have been with my spouse for almost eight years. Even though we are not married by common law guiedlines we are. We have a beautiful three year old son together and my step son is going to be eleven. You see my spouse has been here all his life but he was born in Mexico. Tough times when he was young made it hard to get him his citizenship. Now he is twenty-seven and has never really lived in Mexico and we are going through deportation hearings. Sometime next week he will be sent to Mexico and is required to stay there. Everything that he has ever know is going to be taken away from him in an instant. His oldest son doesn't seem to understand why his dad has to leave. Our youngest son doesn't yet know the magnitude of the situation and wants to know why daddy can't come home. Our family is being torn apart and I don't know what to do.
Francis
Denver, CO
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I have been living here now for 8 years, without any paper. I got marry in since 5 year ago to a wonderful men an us Army. a couple month after our wedding he went to Iraq. Recently, the US immigration had denied my case and time getting hard. My husband cannot come to see me as he used to.
Kate
Miami
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I was born in Leon Gto. Mexico. I was brought to the United States at the age of 4 along with my sister, by my parents. My parents both became residents through the amnesty back in the late 80's. Today I am 29 years old, and am a naturalized citizen. Recently my boyfriend from Guatemala was traveling to work when he was pulled over by a state trooper. He was arrested and then went into immigration custody. He has now been locked up for 15 days and we are still waiting for a bond for his release. I don't know what will happen after that, only God knows. What I do know is that he is a hard working man. We have a 15 month old son. I don't want my boyfriend to be deported. He has lived in the US for 8 years. This is his home, this is our home. I share the pain with the millions of families that are being separated. May God bless us all.
Ana
Oklahoma City
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I was born in Palestine and came to Chicago with my family on a visitor’s visa when I was a year and a half old in Sept. 1986. My parents went back when I was seven and we stayed there for the summer and crossed Canada's border so I can be back in time for school because they wouldn't give my family another visitor's visa. So, me, my mom, and my dad are illegal while my 6 brother's and sister's were all born here. I am now 23 years old without a license and I graduate as a radiologic technologist in May of 2009. I'm so confused and don't know what to do! I'm even getting so desperate, I’m thinking about turning myself in. I am worried about what is going to happen to me and i'm worried that I won't be able to work when I finish school. I don't feel like a normal person and have been very depressed this past year because I've worked so hard and am so frustrated. Even though I don't blame my parents, I'm very angry and sad. I have a good support system, but I want to be able to live my life and not have my heart sink every time a cop passes me. I want to be the independent and successful person I know I could be.
Danae
Palos Hills, IL
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I have been living in the U.S. since I was almost a month old. My parents wanted to offer us the opportunity to seize the American Dream by coming to the U.S., but pregnancy complications inhibited my mom from traveling so I was born in Mexicali. Growing up I knew I was different, but I thought it was only the culture and language barriers I had with my classmates. When I turned 16, I was excited that I could finally apply to get my driver’s permit. My parents kept telling me that I was too young and that I couldn’t get it, but it wasn’t until I actually turned 17 and wanted to start filling out my registration to vote for the next year that I realized I didn’t have a social security number. My parents told me of how they tried to come into this country legally, but how that process was long and nearly impossible having no family or friends in the US. I was very upset at them and I couldn’t believe that all the immigration issues I heard on the news actually affected me directly. 5 years later I have become used to being careful with what I apply for, making up stories as to why I don’t drive. I thank my lucky stars I at least have a job even if I only get minimum wage. I have learned to live under the radar and accept the fact that I have to pay for the mistake my parents made 22 years ago when they brought me to this country in hopes to make my life better.
Carolina M.
San Jose, CA
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I'm a 29 yr old mom of 3 and I'm 8 weeks pregnant. My husband is from Mexico and has been here illegally for 6 yrs. He has been thru hell. His dad is in Mexico alone and just had his 2nd leg taken due to being Diabetic. What do we do? I want to bring my father in law here legally. But immigration will not give him papers to come here unless he has legal family members here. What about his grandchildren don't they count? My 4 yr old cries when she knows her grandpa is sick and she can't see him. I am an American citizen but in this case I am extremely embarrassed to admit it. Like my father in law is going to come here to work or take something from this country. We just want him here to be able to help him and get him better medical assistance. I have a very good paying job and would be able to support him. The US government are a bunch of jerks without hearts. Why don't they put themselves in our place? The terrorist didn't come from Mexico, but they were still able to get to the U.S.
Cecilia
Des Moines, Iowa
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I am a US Citizen who married a Dominican who resides in the Dominican Republic. We have been married since September 2004. We had an interview at the Dominican Consulate in September 2007 and they put our case under Administrative Procedure for further investigation. It is now September 2008. The officers came to my husband's neighborhood and house to further validate our marriage and asked people in his neighborhood if they knew me and him as a couple. Everyone knows me because I travel to see my husband and stepchildren every 3 to 4 months which is nice but financially and emotionally stressful.
We had to hire a lawyer in DR to try to help expedite this matter. I had gone to several lawyers in the States who told me they could not do anything. I find it hard to believe that there is nothing that could be done about a situation like mine.
My husband is probably not like most people who immigrate to the US. He speaks English and is currently working for an American company in the Dominican Republic which should afford him and advantage in the US. He is a loving husband and father and is a hard worker.
We are trying to start a family but I haven’t been able to become pregnant yet, probably of the stress of the situation. While the Dominican Republic is a beautiful country,my husband lives in conditions which I am not used to as an American and my prayer is that the DR Embassy makes the decision ASAP to allow my husband to migrate to the States so that we can move forward with our lives and live the American Dream.
Monica
Brooklyn, NY
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I got married to a wonderful person. He is a US citizen and I am an illegal. I came here not by choice. My parents brought me here when I was only 7. Ever since then I always wanted to go home but never did. At age 17 I met my husband. We got married the year after and took a year to file the paperwork. We filed it in July 2007. I am now in my last step. I received a letter with my appointment in Ciudad Juarez on Oct. 2, 2008. I went to a lawyer and he said that since no one started my paperwork before 2001 I will have to leave and stay in Mexico for 10 years. I do not know what to do. That truly broke my heart because it gets tougher and tougher each and every day. I want to know if this is true if I do have to stay in Mexico for 10 years or if the lawyer was wrong, which I pray to God he was.
Flor
Garden Grove, CA
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My fiancé Miguel is from Mexico and was here on a visitor’s visa. He hired a lawyer before we met to change his visa to a business visa so he could start a company. The lawyer wanted more and more money, and so because he wouldn't pay, the lawyer took his time in doing the papers. Two things you need to be aware of all immigrants/visitors have a visa and an I-94 (date of entry w/only six months permission). There are strict penalties if you stay one day more than six months. Our lawyer said there would be no problem. Miguel went back to Mexico on May 27th with an appointment at the consulate to get his business visa, which we were told was approved. The counselor was upset because he overstayed for a few days, and didn't care it was our lawyers fault. His current 10 year visitor visa was revoked.
It is now September, 2008, we had to hire an attorney, the only way out is to now get him a fiancé visa, and you should all know the going time rate is about 6 months. We filed in July, it took forever to gather all the information, Then waited till August to get a receipt that they received it and it would now take about six months for them to process this. We did everything legally and due to our lawyer things got messed up and we still had to pay. If you plan to marry a foreigner, don't think just because they entered on a visitor’s visa, and you get married here that the government will let your spouse stay. A visitor’s visa is permission to enter with intent to leave. You really need to get a fiancé visa if you want things to work out for you.
Amanda
Buford, Georgia
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I am a Cuban resident. I have been here for 28 years. I’m 30 now. I met my husband 3 years ago. He took care of my daughter and he’s the only father she knows. My husband and I have a son that is now 1.My husband does not drink or smoke or do drugs. never has been in trouble with the law. One day my husband was driving to work and was pulled over and arrested for driving without a license. I got my husband out on bond. That hearing was scheduled but we missed it so I rescheduled it. Later the same thing and then got a court date for another ticket he had for the same thing. When we went to the court the arresting officer was present. The judge let my husband go. As we were walking towards the car the officer tells me that he is taking my husband and is calling immigration to come get him. It has now been 4 months and counting. Every day I cry and my children cry for their daddy. I have a lawyer working on my case. which I’m working 2 jobs to pay for. I don’t know what else to do . I have filled the I-131 in order to go see him but only GOD knows how long that will take. I can’t live much longer without my husband. If anyone knows what I can do please let me know…
Gema
Miami, FL
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I am a U.S. Citizen and my husband is a Mexican who entered without inspection 13 years ago. The whole time he has paid his taxes. I knew it would be hard when we got married but I didn't realize how hard. I knew there would be a lot of time, paperwork and cost, but I thought that eventually my husband would get his residency. I know better now after much study and consultation with at least 10 lawyers. I have filed the I-130 but I am too well informed to file the I-485 - I don't want him to be automatically deported. I had a story written about our situation in the local newspaper but it is relatively anti-immigrant and they messed it up. I am worried that the I-130 will not be approved because my husband was falsely accused of a crime about 2 years ago. Even though the charge was dismissed and the arrest expunged, the FBI has a different charge listed for the accusation. The local court has no record of such a charge. I sent a copy of the dismissal and expungement papers with the immigration paperwork but I don't know if they will pay attention to that. The area we are in is getting more dangerous for immigrants and I think that most of the businesses are around here are signing up with E-Verify. If the company where my husband works does this, he will lose his job. I am a full time student and if this happens we will lose our apartment and have to sell almost everything we own. I may have to quit school too. If the law enforcement in this county signs up for the 287 agreement I am very afraid that he will be stopped by someone anti-immigrant just for his appearance and be taken into custody. I am so afraid of losing my husband.
Shawna
Chattanooga, TN
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I am a legal immigrant who works and obeys the law. And I am also for deportation of illegal immigrants because some of them forget the cause of their being here. They forget all the poverty and suffering they have been through and start robbing, killing and raping. How many times have we turned on the tv to watch the news and there is a crime committed by someone from Mexico and also illegal? how many times have read the newspaper and it’s the same case? I know there are some good people out there but the bad ones outnumber the good and it’s the bad ones that caused the laws to get tougher.
No name given
Denver, Colorado
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I am a 32 year old American citizen. I married a wonderful Mexican husband who came here illegally over 8 years ago. We have 2 beautiful children ages 3 and 4 years old. Recently we started our own construction business in my home town of Mississippi. Everything has to be under my name due to he is illegal. We pay taxes and everything we own is in both of our names. Work became very slow here and my husband had to travel to Oklahoma. He was there for one week. On his way home to our family he was stopped by police, taken into jail and is now being held for immigration. I am aware of what will happen next. Deportation is a fact. I am very scared for our family. People don't understand we are all human. I have a wonderful husband who took over the responsibility of 2 step children that their own citizen father didn't do. Now I have a total of 4 children to provide for on my own. Does the government not see what is happening? Our children are growing up not understanding why our country has separated their family. I will not give up on my family. From day one, I made the decision to marry him. If he is never allowed permanent resident status in America, I will leave my country to be with him and to raise our children as a family. I have faith in god and I know my faith is what will carry us to a brighter day. America needs to open it's eyes and see where our country is headed.
Patricia Michua
Gulfport, Mississippi
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I was born here so I've always had the opportunities that some people don’t have. My parents were able to become citizens in the 80s right before immigration laws got difficult. Growing up I never thought much of it until I got my first job at restaurant when I was 16. I became very good friends with a lot of people who worked in the kitchen. And one of them would later become my boyfriend. Later on in the relationship, he told me about how he grew up in El Salvador, being a cop, getting paid $5.00 a day, and so on. He and his sister's chances of coming to the US had to be illegally. So on their way here they both were arrested, but later released. He had a court date, and never showed up. Later that decision determined his future here.
I came to love a really good person, but everyone felt that I could do better because I had more of privileged life and he was only an illegal immigrant. It was hard and still is trying to have a relationship when everyone is against us. But things got worst when he got deported to El Salvador six months ago.
His family and I keep in touch, and I spend time with them as much as I can. I understand not all Americans agree with illegal immigration, but all they really do is make an honest living. Living in the shadows is sad. The majority of his family here is illegal, but when I see them I just think of them as my family. Illegal or not I still love them, because I've learned so much from them and they have made me a better person.
Vanessa
Annandale,VA
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My family came to this country as legal immigrants, in search of safety, education, and most of all, a better life. I come from Somalia where a Civil War broke out in 1991 due to corruption of the government. When I came to America I was 12 years old and I had never attended school before going to the Newcomer Center at John Adams Middle School in Rochester in 2004. Unfortunately, when I transferred to Kellogg, my classmates were not very friendly towards me. I knew that people were talking about me and I would have stood up for myself, but at the time I couldn’t express what I wanted to say in English. However, these words were so hurtful that I thought of killing myself.
One night, my grandmother asked me how school was going for me. I told her that I never wanted to go back. My grandmother was shocked and speechless. Then, she told me that these are just some of the challenges that everyone has to face in life. She told me to be strong and just live through it. It is not the end of the world. She also encouraged me to keep working hard in school and to ignore what people were saying. Then I said, I will kill myself if you make me go back to that school. She slapped me across the face and said, You will what? If you kill yourself, then who is going to look after your little siblings? Do you think that killing yourself will solve all the problems that you have? She also said that if you give up now; then all the sacrifices we have made coming to this country were for nothing. That is the night I realized that if I kill myself, I would be giving up the fight.
To close, I would like to leave you with this thought: Since this country is made up of immigrants, and you or your ancestors were immigrants, why should you treat other immigrants any differently?
Awale Osman
Rochester, MN
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I'm a 25 year old woman and happily married to my husband. He is 26 years old. I'm 4 months pregnant and my husband is in Mexico waiting for his papers. He's got 7-9 more months to be there. I haven't seen him for 2 and a half months. We didn't plan for me to get pregnant right now that I'm fixing his papers. We wanted him to be here in the United States legally, so that we can start having a family of our own. I'm tired of feeling lonely and depressed. I need to be happy for my baby. I want our baby to be healthy, but how can I do that without my husband here?
Debra
Corcoran, CA
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My parents in search for the better life brought me here in the US from Mexico when I was about 2 along with my older sister who was about 6 and now I am 14 years old. I have come to love this country so much over the years. It was easy for me to learn English at a very early age .Both my mom and dad older sister and I are illegal. My mom and dad are very good hardworking people who just want the best for their kids. My dad always having to work overtime just to put at least some eggs or bread on the table, the clothes on our backs and the roof over our heads worked and worked and didnt stop. My mom also worked so hard that she would ache of the pain from the machinery. They knew if they stopped we would go hungry. They have been my motivation for doing the bestI could in school. I may not be the smartest but I try my best and in the future I plan to go to college to be an Architect, and get married and never have my parents work ever again but being illegal blocks my dreams and all that I am capable of pursueing. In the present day My dad is no longer with us and I have 3 US siblings and a 1yr 7 month baby boy nephew my brother who is 8 and sister who is 9 and my other sister who is 10 that makes 6 mouths to feed. My mom worked in a chicken factory doing all she can as a single mother. She gave me everything I ever wanted even with the extra hard earned money she had I never thought of owning a Playstation3 and a Brand new Computer. I finished my 8th grade school year in May 30th and going on to 9th. Everything was going along great until the morning of July 23,2008 when my mother had gone with my mothers friends son to pick up his car for getting a ticket. She had no idea what was coming to her but she felt something bad in the distance. She was nervous when the police asked her for her licence that was expired and had no insurance for the car. A single 3 words changed my life forever when my oldest sister had told me "She's in Jail." Of the 15 years that my mother has been in the US she has never commited a crime. Shes a great law abiding citizen, but when you look it in the eyes of the police shes a criminal who broke every law. And anyway you look at it Shes innocent. Now that I heard she will be taken to the bigger city Minneapolis and later being sent back to Mexico my heart aches when seeing her pictures of all those memories I have spent with her. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I dont know if I will see her again in awhile but I wont give up faith for the chance to hug her so tight and say "MOM I LOVE YOU SO MUCH".I dont know why this country is like this today everyone is of Immigrant decent but why does the differnce of being born someplace else make the differnce. We are all human trying to survive in the land of which God granted us with. I am 14 yrs old taking on a role of a grown man, but I have faith that every immigrant families out there will have there recombensa in life. I pray to God that the new president in the upcoming elections will change our stories."You never know what you have until its gone" God Bless Every Immigrant Out There.
Ave Rubio
Rockville, MN
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I am married to an immigrant who was recently deported to Brazil. I am now left as a single mother of our daughter who is 14 months old and no way to care for her. I am lost and confused. I am an American and I just wish that other Americans would give our husbands a chance. They are not here to hurt this country, only to help it. But in the process of deportation America is hurting its own people.
Kelly
Deerfield Beach, FL
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My husband petitioned me in 2006 and I got my interview in Ciudad Juarez Nov, 06 2007. I got a year "punishment" due to the fact that I went to the USA illegally as a minor. I qualified for a waiver/pardon but on the day of the interview the officer said I needed some more forms which my husband submitted to an address in Texas in timely manner. It has been 8 months and whenever we call INS they say that my case is being reviewed by Homeland Security and that if we do not hear any news back from then by December 1st, 2008 then we can call for further information on what to do. I am very afraid that my case will be denied all together and I will not be my reunited with my husband and family. I have been in the USA since I was twelve years old and I'm almost thirty. My life has been drastically changed and I really do not know how to deal with my loneliness and frustration. All I want is to go back to my husband and to my home.
Reyna
Wilmington, California
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I have 3 kids by a Mexican that has no papers. He was deported. Now what am I supposed to do? Go on welfare because the President wants to deport all Mexicans?
Deanna Burns-Silva
Ludington, Michigan
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I have been with my boyfriend for over a year and we have lived together since three weeks after we got together. I am an American citizen who was born in this country. He was born and raised in Mexico and came to America when he was 17. He has been here for over 2 years now. We love each other very much and we want to get married. I have been reading all of the laws and stories about immigration on the internet and I don't know what to do. It looks like it is going to be very hard to get him any kind of papers to be here legally. I just want to be able to marry him, have his children, and spend the rest of my life with him. I don't understand why it has to be so hard.
Cherie
Moreno Valley, CA
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I'm here almost 4 years. I'm from Bosnia and my husband is American. We got married in Bosnia and I received paperwork for 2 weeks and visa all together one month. Since 2005 I live here in Seattle, Washington with my husband and my 3 year old son. I never had any problems about paperwork or anything. I'm permanent resident. I didn't take a USA passport yet because I'm very good with who I am. So sorry to hear the stories and problems some you have had and cannot bring someone who you love but you need to be working with the law if you are interested in bringing that person to the USA. I'm at college right now and my life here is much of what I always wanted it to be. You can be with that someone who you love only if you do the right things how I told you to do. God bless America.
KG
Seatlle, WA
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My life changed on May 14th, 2008 when officials came to my house and took my parents away. I was in church at that time so I thank God immigration wasn't able to take me into custody. Now I am fighting the custody of both my brothers that are minors. I am from Guatemala and I came to the U.S. when I was only two years old. I am nineteen now and I know nothing of my country. They want to take me and my mother by the end of this month. I feel like I belong here and I know I DO. God bless every immigrant that has come to the U.S. for a better future for themselves and their families. The U.S. is in God's hands...
Jennifer Montenegro
Grandview, WA
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I applied for my husband's visa and was denied. I never received a letter from the US Consulate stating why my husband's application was denied. I want to sue the US Consulate office for not properly finishing the paperwork so that I could file an appeal. I also want to sue the US Consulate office for child support since I will not be able to raise my children on my own. God bless all immigrants!
Lesley
Apache Junction, Arizona
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My daughter married a man from Mexico whom she loves very much and they have a 4 year old son and a 2 year old daughter. I love my son in law. He was paying taxes and doing everything legal and he was deported. It has broken our hearts and the children are so confused they don't know what to do. We have a family here with 3 Americans and they want their Mexican father back home. It has led my daughter almost to financial ruin because they took him. But they don't offer any help to pay her bills.
CB
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
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I came here fourteen years ago on a visitor visa. My dad was a US citizen and filed for me. That was in 1996. We have different last names because my dad and mom were not married. The country which I came from does not put a father's name who is not present on the birth certificate. We filed all the paper work. I got my work permit and that was the easy part. The interview for adjustment of status was different. The officer ask a few questions and marked my passport i485 pending. He said that I will hear from immigration. Fast forward to 2004. I receive a letter stating that they need additional documents. I send every document requested. All they have to do is ask for a DNA test. That will solve everything. I am tired of waiting and need to get on with my life.
Ron
NY
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I am a woman from Morocco. I met an American man and we got married. My husband brought me to USA by k1 visa and after I showed the marriage contract to the consulate in Morocco they gave me the visa. In 30/08/2005 I came to USA and we applied for a green card. I waited for 2 years just to have the interview on 08/01/2008. But during the interview the person who interviewed us told me that I broke the law because I had married in my country and I entered to USA by K1 visa. I told her that I did not know, the lawyer did all the things for us. Me and my husband have no idea about the immigration papers. At the end of the interview she told me that she will give me her decision after 2 weeks but I have not heard from her. I do not know what will happen.
Nawara
St. Louis, MO
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My husband and I met in 1999. It was love at first sight. We dated for two years then got married in 2002. Our life together has been a fairy tale since the day we met. We went to so many lawyers that took our money and nothing was done. My husband is from Guatemala. I'm a US citizen. We have filed for so many petitions. He finally was issued a social security number and worked for many years paying taxes to uncle sam. In 2007 we had an interview with immigration. We have been doing everything by the law and on 10-2007 my husband got deported. Now our life has been a nightmare. I've been in the hospital 4 times for a heart attack and 2 TIA strokes. I've had an heart condition for some time but my husband's absence in my life has made me more ill. I'm on so many meds I don't think I'll be around to tell my husband in person I love you. I do call him twice a week and we write to each other. Immigration laws will be the cause of my death. I don't want to die but I miss him so much. My life has no meaning. I still work. I'm a nurse. Hoping for new laws so we can be together. I do have a good lawyer but having a hard time with my health. My only means to continue going is prayers to God and hope. My husband always took care of me. My heart is like a broken leaking faucet. Always crying, can't sleep, can't eat. I was 125 pounds, now I'm 100 pounds. When I talk to my husband I don't tell him I'm ill cause I don't want to worry him. My absence in his life is hateful enough. He always called me pulgita cause I'm small.
Pulgita
Philadelphia
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We are pregnant with our first baby and we just buy our first house and immigration deport my husband to Haiti, after he has been in the USA for 9 years. They just find out he is illegal. I want to kill myself and that American baby inside of me because I can never make it without him. I hope when you read my history you will see that the USA yesterday is not the same today. In a country of 50 states with a lot of empty land, deportation should never exist because all the immigrant people are looking for is freedom! Clinton was the president and he helped the immigrants, but this president ignores us.
Mamie
Boca, Fl
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I am married to a man from Mexico. In March we were told that he cannot re-apply for 10 yrs. We are devastated. I wish all the people that are so critical about doing things the right way had their hearts ripped out like we have. I believe people should be able to live anywhere they want to. We tried to do things the correct way and it didn't work. However, the government was happy to take our money and have us travel for an interview just to tell us sorry, you cannot enter for 10 yrs. Sad story.
Karol
Puyallup, WA
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I have been in the U.S for over 20 years, I came to this country legally. All those years I went to school here, my mother raised me to believe you can be anything you want as long as you set your mind to it. I am not sure if I feel that is true, I went to SFSU and graduated with double major: BA; Radio and Television, and La Raza Studies. Every year, I had to come to the financial aid office, begging, crying explaining my financial situation, my mother had passed away from cancer. I was 17 years old. Every semester, I had to bring my U.S passport because according to her I was not a U.S. Citizen. My financial award was always put on hold because they thought I was just permanent resident. As always, my citizenship was devalued. Sometimes, I felt they did this on purpose, they did it because they wanted me to give up my education. Anyhow, I struggled, dealt with it and survived.
Sugey
San Francisco, CA
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My husband is a legal immigrant here from Mexico. The illegals crimes and attitudes make it hard on legal Hispanic immigrants to get unprejudicial treatment! I have been around the Hispanic comm. here in northeast Ohio since the early 1990's. Yo entiendo mucho espanol! The things I have seen and heard from illegals over the years would horrify any citizen of any sovereign country! I know from experience that there is so much reverse racism, a "US owes me attitude" and blatant disrespect of US laws, and dissing of Americans (mostly women and young girls), and serious facts are suppressed concerning Americans safety and health being at risk when millions of people from 3rd world countries sneak into this country illegally. Look at the news in Mexico, they don’t want illegals from south of their border sneaking into Mexico!
I am a healthcare worker, a medical professional, and I find it very disconcerting that you dont hear much on the health risks posed to Americans by illegals! Did you know that many illegal aliens harbor fatal diseases that American medicine fought and vanquished long ago, such as drug-resistant tuberculosis, malaria, leprosy, plague, polio, dengue, and Chagas disease, to name a few. HIV-AIDS is also more prevalent in third world countries, and other STD's. Not to mention the lack of proper hygeine/sanitation when they cram several families or 20-30 ppl in a single family residence! No matter how you want to spin it, there are many discrepancies between cultures of ppl from third world countries and Americans. I see and hear everyday, things that I wish I didnt know. Like how they change names to avoid bills, use document fraud/forgery as needed, ID theft, SS# fraud/forgery, obtaining goods and services by fraudulent means ETC.. ETC.. Americans are prosecuted for these crimes, some of which are felonies! There are more and more ppl like myself, learning the actions of illegals, things hidden and minimized by illegals and their supporters, things they dont want us to know. I report the stuff I know, as it affects me, my kids, and my legal immigrant husband who also gets angry when he sees the facts twisted like in many articles/posts on this site.
Calling an illegal alien an undocumented worker is like calling a houserobber an uninvited guest, or like calling a drug dealer an unlicensed pharmacist! Poverty is no excuse to break the law! Americans are prosecuted for fraud/forgery etc.. so should the illegals be held accountable for the crimes they commit! Why dont you help them organize protests and change in their home country? The Mexican gov't has pushed it's ppl and problems on the US to fix for too long! Mexico is one of the richest countries in the world, as far as resources go, but has a corrupt gov't that suppresses the freedom and prosperity of it's own ppl, then push them off on the US to get the billions of US $ that are sent back to the home country by illegals here in the US! The only Americans wanting illegals here are the businesses and wealthy that use them and prosper from them, the rest of america that lives among them, doesn't like neighborhoods turned into overcrowded/unsanitary barrios, if we did we'd go to Mexico to live - legally of course!
Tempest
Ohio
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I am gay man and an American citizen. For the last four years I’ve been with J, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. I feel bad that I have to stress that he is not a bad person, has a job, and has never committed a crime. At this point in our national discussion on illegal immigration, we have such a distorted image of what an undocumented immigrant is. We start out by calling him an illegal, instead of an undocumented immigrant. That is what many people automatically believe about illegal immigrants; that they ARE illegal. Some believe that they are coming into this country specifically to commit as much crimes as they can get away with while they are here, and that they are a drain on our system. They argue that if you came here illegally, you then base your life on an illegal action, and everything you do after that is therefore illegal. Being undocumented, in fact, is not a criminal offense, but a civil one.
We live together. We are in love and want to spend the rest of our lives together. I knew that this issue was ours to deal with from the beginning, but now that our relationship has grown much more serious, I would like to find a way somehow for him to become a US citizen, but there doesn’t seem to be any solution anytime soon. I’m angry that there are at least 16 other countries that would allow a same sex couple to marry each other for immigration purposes. Why the big hang up in the US?
Both Democratic presidential candidates have promised to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, and say that they would offer a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants as part of immigration reform, but I feel that immigration reform is not a high priority for any of the presidential candidates.
I feel like there really isn't much sympathy or empathy for us in either the gay community or the immigrant rights community. Thank you for listening.
D
Seattle
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I got my green card just last year in December. I want to marry my long time girlfriend who lives in Dubai. The problem is that I don't know how long will it take for her to come to America with me from the date that we get married. We've been apart 4-5 years now because I've been studying here and currently looking for a job. I don't want to keep her waiting for more long. I need to know approx. how much longer it will take for her to come to America after marriage.
BZ
California
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It seemed it only happened yesterday. The feeling of being an immigrant does feel pretty low considering how successful you are in America. However, even if you move to another country, it still doesn't change who you are. You'd remember your story always. I know I remember mine. It happened over 3 years ago. I moved from my native county, Israel. My family and I arrived in NJ and lived there for over 2 years. And then we moved to CA. It was such a lucky time for us. But it still didn't feel like home. In many ways, you still want to go back. You never feel the same. Ever.
Daniela
Walnut Creek, CA
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My name is Delfina Caruso and this is my story. It all started in January 1997. I went to visit a friend whom I had a crash on in America. I stayed until February, we fell deeply in love, it was love at first sight. I went back to Italy in February, then my boyfriend asked me to marry him and to go to the American embassy in Naples, Italy to ask about the procedure about marrying him in America. At that particular time I was pregnant, the people at the embassy treated me unfairly because I told them the truth. They told me I could never go back to the States anymore. In the meantime my boyfriend talked to a lawyer that he wanted to bring his future wife to America, he wanted to know what was the procedure. The lawyer took the case and told him to let her come to America. As an Italian citizen I can only stay ninety days from the arrival date. The lawyer presented me a document that stated that he would change my status from tourist to resident. I paid him half of the money in advance the other half when he finishes the case. As a result he fraud me because he did not do what he was supposed to, even though I paid him in full. He made me over stay longer than I was supposed to. Time passed and I had a baby. My husband had a few restaurants and was very successful. My husband contacted immigration about my case, they asked him to fill out an I 130 application. It took a few years and I was approved in 2001 for the I 130. After that I had a second baby. I could not return to see my family in Italy because I was waiting on my paperwork. My mother became sick but I could not visit her. We asked immigration if we could leave the country with the I 130 approved, they said it was okay to leave and to continue the I 130 process in Naples Italy, that it would not take more than 6 months. In 2001 September 11 came, after that our business went down dramatically. We think that because of husband being Muslim. To let time pass by, we decided to move to Italy for 6 months, it would not be a problem for the kids because they are babies. After that we went to apply in immigration for returning to the USA. I paid all the fees for the permanent residence at the embassy. After that they denied me because of my overstay in 1997. My husband went many times to the USA immigration to find out what they can do for me but they told him since I am in Naples to continue the process in Naples. Immigration in Naples is not very helpful. They do not let my husband talk to a counselor to see what they can do next. It has been 6 years living in Italy but our minds are really in the USA. This is the land of opportunities, people from all over the world come to the USA, for a second chance, a new beginning. I deserve that new beginning too.
Delfina Caruso
Italy
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I married my husband in 2001 and he is being deported now because he had a deportation order back in 1999 when he came illegally to this country. We have a daughter together and I am lonely every night with fears that somebody is going to enter my house. I miss him very much and I wish these laws could change. I believe we have the freedom to live wherever we want to.
Diana
Denver, Colorado
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My mother emigrated to the United States in 1989. She worked cleaning houses and made enough money to keep us from starving in Mexico. She returned to Mexico around November 1990 and she was able to convince all of us to move to the United States. She really did a great job, because I remember that at the age of 5 I would make bets with my brother (who was 2 years older than me) on anything. I remember betting him a million dollars that I could jump from the roof of this abandoned house and land on my feet and not complain one bit about the pain. I remember holding that dollar in my hand and telling myself that I was going to make a lot of those and that I would never have to wear those plastic boots that really tortured my feet because with all the money that i was going to make, I would be buying myself guaraches ... sandals. Los Estados Unidos, that sounded like heaven.
I remember crossing the border, which was nothing more than a chainlink fence that was very easy to get past. Once we were on the other side we walked to a venture store and waited for the person who was going to transport us to a hotel and get us ready to fly out of Nogales, Arizona to Chicago. I think it was about 13 of us that managed to get crammed into a small little room. On the airport, I could not get past a metal detector because I was wearing a denim jacket with a million metal buttons and every time I tried passing through the damn thing would go off. I remember the "coyote" rushing to me and taking that denim jacket off my back so that we could keep on moving to our destination.
Chicago in December seemed like something unreal. I had never touched snow and that day .... I walked on snow, touched snow, ate snow and dreamed about snow.
Victor
Chicago, IL
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I have been living here for 7 years. I have come to love this country and as far as I am concerned, this is my home. But I am Illegal! And recently I suffered a loss in my native land. I could not go home to say farewell to them for fear that I would not get back! I am a law abiding person, have never been in trouble and want to live here for the rest of my life. I don't exist in my homeland or in this land. I have no voice, and I am living in the shadows! And I don't want to live like this anymore. I want to be able to pay my taxes, vote in an election and most of all go home on vacation to see my family without having to worry about getting deported on my journey back here! The US has always been an immigrant nation. It was built on the backs of hard working ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS! This country belonged originally to the Native American. The "white man", came to this country and "Stole" this land from its original inhabitants! That was also Illegal, And all of you blue blooded anti immigrant politicians in power today, are in some way, products of Illegal Immigration. So don't forget when you discredit Illegal Immigrants, you are really discrediting your own heritage. Give us a break and give us green cards so we can become LEGAL immigrants and eventually, AMERICAN CITIZENS.
Enya
New York, NY
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My family came to the U.S.A. 19 years ago. My older brother was 3, I was 2 and my little brother was 9 months. My mother was a single mom with 5 kids...always working two jobs in order to put food on the table and clothes on our backs. Maybe that's the reason my older brother turned to the streets looking for love. Well we had never been able to fix our immigration status until my mother married a U.S. citizen 5 years ago. It has already been 2 years since my mom filed her papers but since then has received no response. Recently my older brother was put in jail for a case that he was innocent. He was left in jail for 2 years and after not finding him guilty he was deported for no apparent reason (Dec-30-08) other than to get him out of this country in which he grew up and has come to love. My mother was devastated by his deportation and who knows how long more she needs to wait until she gets a response from immigration. Maybe it will be a couple of years till we can see my brother again. God is the only one who knows the answer to this question and who will help us out with all the division that is going on with us illegal immigrants. I'm very terrified...will the government win in kicking us out?
Maria
San Jose, CA
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I met the love of my life the summer of 2007. We got engaged and everything was wonderful until he was in a car crash and the police ran his papers. He came here without papers because there was a 'blood fued' and Mitch had destroyed his family's land. He survived because he came here, many others did not. Now ICE has him and is going to deport him to Honduras, where I fear for his safety. We do not have children yet, but desperately want to. And I am crushed that I cannot leave school for 2 more years to be with him. I am so angry at this country that was built by immigrants but does not accept new ones. All I want is to be married to the love of my life, but I can't because of the government!
Rebecca
Seattle, WA
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I met a wonderful man, and we want to spend our lives together. Unfortunately, we can not live the American Dream because he is an illegal immigrant. He has been a good law abiding citizen for over 15 years here, but that makes no difference. We want to be married, but we are afraid to do so, because we can't just go into it, for fear he will be deported. We want to do things legally and honestly, but I don't want to lose him for 10 or 20 years halfway across the world! If he has to leave, I will go with him, or follow closely behind. I don't want to have to leave America, but if he leaves, so do I. I used to love the country of my birth with all of my heart, but now it only leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. What fools run this government of ours? They preach racial tolerance, but what are their immigration laws? Legal racism! How can the powers that be keep denying us? Can they not remember that this country was founded by immigrants? Does anyone remember what the inscription on the Statue of Liberty reads? Perhaps we should lead our government officals by the hand to see! They need to take a good hard look at the history of this country. We are all immigrants, except for the poor souls who were all booted out of their homes and shipped to Oklahoma! I bet we were all illegal immigrants in their eyes! Who are they to say who may live on a tract of land? Are they gods? No. But may God help us in our plight!
RD
Kansas
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My family and I are from Durango, MX. we came to the United States in 1986, my dad, mom, sis, bro and I. My mom fixed papers for us because she was born here. My brother got deported 2yrs ago and I'm going thru the process of fighting my case. My brother got arrested and convicted of a felony and that is why he got deported but he did not know that this was going to happen or else he would had fought his case before pleading guilty. For myself I got a misdemeanor charge but I have a pretty good chance of getting relief from the judge because I have a US citizen wife and two US citizen kids. If we would have known that these were going to be the consequences of our actions I'm sure we would have reacted different to the situations that we were faced with. Now my brother got deported for life meaning never to come back to the US, all his immediate family is here in the US and I know he misses those precious family times that we had. As for my dad, mom and sis they all became American citizens last year. I hope I could get thru the whole process OK.
Ernesto Cervantes
Moreno Valley, California
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I have been with my husband for a long time. I am 25 years old. We have a 6 year old 3 year old and 2 month old. He got in trouble in 2006. I hired a criminal lawyer. He got out after 6 and half months and was on home detention still waiting trial because he was a flight risk. We was working on his case and we had all the approved documents. While his case was still pending on Thursday March 6 2008 ICE decided to come to my home and take away my husband. Now our kids cry for him. The hardest thing is knowing he is getting sent back cause he was supposedly deported in 1997. He has been here for 11 years. It is sad. They say America is for the children. Well I do not think it is fair how they are sending back people to Mexico. What about their life here? My husband was the main supplier in our home and I am so depressed over all this and so confused. My children want him home. How could these laws be so harsh?
Kristina
Noblesville, Indiana
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I am a 25 yr old American citizen who married a man from Mexico, in July 2000. We filed for his papers in April, 2001. We paid the 1,300 fine did everything we were supposed to do. Immigration messed up the paper work. they put down the wrong person as the sponsor for my husband. That resulted in him being deported in October, 2007. It’s almost been five months since me, my 8 yr old and 2 yr old have seen him. It’s been extremely hard on us. It feels like my whole life has been ripped apart. We are still trying to find a way to get him back in the U.S. I refuse to let immigration decide my life and where I’m going to live it.
Beth Thomas
Sapulpa, Oklahoma
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My husband and I have been married for almost 10 years we have a child and I have applied for my husband to get his visa in 2001 and nothing but i then decided to locate my congressman and they have been helping me a lot they have already approved one of my applications and i am now in the process of them reviewing another one with faith and lots of love i hope my hubby will be home soon.
No name given
Portsmouth, VA
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I am a US citizen, and I met a wonderful man just about a year and half ago who is not a US citizen. He is from Honduras. We have been together just about two years and just recently got married about 5 months ago. Our life is so great together and was going so good, until 3 days after our wedding date he got picked up and put in jail for being illegal. He spent almost 2 months in jail, before they sent him back home. Now he is home and he is unable to come back to the US for 20 years. I think by him getting married to me, knowing I am a citizen, that it would make him some kind of legal but it didn't and they say that our marriage isn't real either. I wake up every day just to wish him here with me but nothing yet. We are still together and I plan on going to Honduras to be with him. Because he is the best man I will ever find and I am not going to lose him just because he is illegal. What does it matter? He's a human being like the rest of us anyway. Good luck to everyone and hope everything works out for you and your family.
Danni
Olean, NY
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Eight of my very best friends were picked up by immigration Feb 3, 2008 at 8:30 pm. All the guys will be deported back to Honduras, but we do not know when. These men worked hard everyday and were good honest people. How can this happen? They were not even able to pack-up their personal belongings to send home. Because we are no relation, the police/immigration will not even tell us where they are jailed so that we could send them cigarettes or a calling card. All these guys entered the country legally to work after hurricane Katrina. What will happen to them illegally in Honduras when they arrive? Will they spend time in jail before they can go find residence? Deportation is worse than a death.
Gilbert
West Lake, LA
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My wife and I were married in 2000 in Dallas, TX. Our first boy was born in December 2000. We applied for her green card in Salt Lake City, Utah in the spring 2001. In October 2002 we moved to Massachusetts. In August 2002 her gynecologist ordered her to bed rest for the last 5 months. We decided with her doctors approval she would return to Brazil where her sister would care for her and our first born. She would return at the beginning of her 9th month. We went to the INS and requested permission to leave "Advanced Parole" and we were denied because her paperwork was in Utah. We had already purchase a ticket and the welfare of my wife and our unborn child outweighed the INS's rules. (BIG MISTAKE). Our extenuating circumstances meant nothing. I went to Brazil to pick them up. When we returned they processed my wife for entering the country without a valid visa. We went to the Immigration court in Boston and the judge said he was not concerned with the circumstances surrounding our decision and they ordered the mother of two American citizens to be deported for ten years. We left the country a few months later and we have been separated since. I visit my wife and kids but I need to stay here and earn an income to support our family. I want my wife and kids back with me. My kids are denied security, the pursuit of happiness and a quality education.
Robert Sheldon
Hollywood, Florida
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I was ten when I came to USA and now
I'm 22. I have a permanent residency but I have applied for naturalization
and I haven't gotten anything in 3 years. I come to find that our
lawyer never filed a form that we paid $2000 to be filed. What do
I do, sue her? Its bad enough I have to start all over and the pay
is just crazy... I need help. DON'T trust your lawyer too much, you
better call places to make sure they received all forms that you should
be filing.
Jane
Cleveland, Ohio
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I
have been here for 8 years now. I came back in 2000 when I was 16.
I got a job 3 days later then met my wife. We got married almost 3
years ago. I applied for my residency in November and got my appointment
for my fingerprints and pictures a month after got my work permit.
I have my interview February 28. I'm so nervous. I hope they don't
send me back to Mexico. I don't have felonies or anything, just a
lot of speeding tickets and a suspended license. That's about it.
Can they still send me back even if I got a work permit and a social
number already?
Juan
C.
Madison, WI
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My
brother was born in Yugoslavia. In 1967 we entered the USA as immigrants.
On November 30 1971, received legal permanent status since childhood
he was under the age of 18 when our dad naturalized in 1983. He is
married to a US citizen and has 2 kids 11 and 13 that are USA citizens.
His son was born handicapped with a diaphragmatic hernia. My brother
has never been outside the USA since arriving in 1971. He's been here
for over 37 yrs. On June 20, 2000 he received a final order of deportation.
He knows nothing about the country he came from don't even know the
language. He has to check with immigration 5 times a month also has
to wear an ankle bracelet on his leg, also has to call voice recognition
every 25th of the month. We wasted over 30,000 dollars on immigration
attorneys and none of them did nothing. He worked very hard for his
money. We are at a dead end. INS tells him he is stateless at this
time because Yugoslavia doesn't recognize him as a citizen. Please
help if anyone knows a good attorney or advice, thank you. God bless.
TM
FLA
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My
brother has been in the US since he was 1 year old. In his 20s he
committed a felony but he paid his debt to society. He made a mistake
and learned from it. He got 4 years in prison. Now that he is doing
good and got his life together, immigration decided to give him a
final order of deportation. It's pretty sad when God can forgive you
but the USA can't. I love my brother and I hope God will help all
of you to just keep praying. Don't give up.
God
be with us
Florida
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My
family, which includes my mother, father, my three sisters, and me,
moved to the United States from Mexico when I was 4. My sisters were
8 and 2. My youngest sister was born after we arrived, so she is a
legal American. The rest of my family was on a temporary visa for
90 days. We lived in a motel for about a month while my parents struggled
to find a job. My mother found work first as a maid at a hotel that
was a 20 mile commute. We didn't have a car, and we couldn't afford
for her to take a cab every day, so we took a bus to town in search
of somewhere close enough to my mother’s work that she could
walk to it. We found an old abandoned apartment that had no heat.
We moved in there because it was only a 5 minute walk to my mother's
job. My siblings and I struggled with the language. We could only
speak a few words of English, but my mother and father had learned
the language before leaving Mexico. My father eventually found a job
as a janitor. We had applied for permanent Visa's and after a long
wait, we all had one. My mother and father got better paying jobs
after a while and sent us to school, were we where constantly made
fun of, but we still wanted to go so we could learn. We felt so privileged
even though we didn't have much. We moved out of the apartment and
into a better one, even though it took us a while to find one because
no one wanted to sell an apartment to Mexicans. It has been a hard
journey, but we made it.
Cristinia
Austin, Texas
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My
husband and I arrived here in 2001 as tourists. With 4 children in
tow, we sought ways of becoming legal permanent residents. He found
a job that did not even ask him for his legal documents. The bosses
liked him and pretty soon, he got raise after raise. My husband was
scared of asking his employer to sponsor his working visa. I, on the
other hand was lucky enough to find a company who sponsored me. The
downside? I have to commute 75 miles one way everyday. In 2005, my
husband was caught. His lawyer then advised him to plead for voluntary
departure. He left for the Philippines in May 2006. I took an offer
from a company that my colleagues warned me against. The company was
notorious for their very strict regulations and was known to fire
employees left and right. Just before I could file for the I-485,
I got laid off. Being without a husband is bad enough. Facing foreclosure
is even worse. I can t afford the house payments anymore and have
sell the house. My realtor said it will be tough and seems like foreclosure
is inevitable.
Cristina
San Diego, CA
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I
was born in Mexico brought to the US when I was two. I now am a US
citizen and I have married an illegal immigrant. My husband has his
interview next month and now I find out that because my husband was
in the USA for six years and he left back to Mexico (he was not deported)
he may be punished for ten years!! I have talked to numerous lawyers
and they have told me that my lawyer screwed us up because of the
way he submitted the application he is not coming back.(His exact
words) Do the immigration office or the lawyers know how it is for
your life to be on hold because the other half of you is not there?
Do they know how it feels when our kids ask when is daddy coming home??
Or you can't even plan on having another baby, buy a house, nothing.
All my daughter and I do now is plan on when are we going to Mexico
to see him. It's unfair, unfair, unfair!! (Sorry I'm just upset) Maybe
that is why most of the illegal immigrants in the USA don't want to
fix their papers. They don't want to be separated from there families,
and don't even mention the cost of all of this. But we must have faith.
Maybe one day ever yone of these stories I have read will end up a
Happy Ending including mine!!! GOOD LUCK TO ALL I will keep you in
my prayers... And maybe someday it will be better...
Erika
Lancaster, CA
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My
fiancé is from Poland. She has been here for almost five years
fighting with immigration to be a permanent resident. She went through
medical testing twice. All procedures twice. She first got married
to someone else who abused her. She recently won battered spouse and
was issued work permission this last year of 2007. She had an appointment
for her green card on 1-10-08. Her lawyer had been working on these
cases for almost two years now. When we arrived for her interview
they told her she was on deportation status since 2004. Her lawyer
had no clue. How is it that immigration can approve work permission,
approve battered spouse, schedule a green card appointment, and nobody
knew about deportation for over four years? The 1-800 number said
nothing about this, the website had no info about this, the lawyer
didn't even know about this. She is a person of very good stature,
never been arrested, and did everything immigration wanted. She has
held a job for over two and half years. Now she is waiting for court.
Polska
Orlando, FL
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My
mother was recently sent to get her visa at Ciudad Juarez and has
been told that a final decision will be mailed out to her. I now find
myself very lonely without her and sometimes wish my parents would've
stayed in Mexico to raise us. Now we have to live with the laws of
this "wonderful" country. My father is a United States Citizen
but apparently you have to be a rich citizen to have rights in this
country. "United" States, doesn't this also count for families
being united? Young and old couples are being separated. This country
needs to fix itself.
Lonely
daughter
El Paso, TX
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My
husband was detained in June by immigration. My son is now 1 ½.
We just built a house. I pushed for us to live for our future even
though we were in proceedings. I never dreamed my country would do
this to us. I thought we would win. We didn't. My husband made a minor
mistake in 1996 but wasn't sentenced until 1997, to probation. He
has not been in trouble since. He was here legally for 23 years and
at 40 he is in jail and being taken from his son and wife, both citizens.
Not only do I need to figure out how to raise my son and keep a roof
over his head but raise him as a proud American after they took his
Daddy away. How? We are supposed to be the greatest country. They
torture these people by locking them up for as long as they want just
because they were not born here. Death would be less painful. I am
not a proud American and we are just yet another number. Murderers
and rapist are on the streets. Great country huh.
Suddenly
single mom
Rhode Island
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I'm
an older person and I cried like a baby today! For almost 25 years,
I have had no record of any crime! The board of immigration appeals
turned me down again to reopen my case, the ground is timing! The
law has given the BIA the authority to use discretion in exceptional
circumstances about timing. The decision said my case does not fall
into the exceptional categories! My life has been destroyed in this
country! I have been trapped in no return for so many years, no family,
no career with a master's degree! Where are the good people in this
nation? Why my life has to be wasted on technicality!!!!!
Aris
NY
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