I just need to vent, wall of text incoming I guess..
Today I received word that my good friend was taken in by ICE while working this past weekend. I guess he's been in jail for a few days while waiting for court on the 20th. He told me he hasn't been able to bathe, brush his teeth, or eat food. In his words "it's been a living hell".
This isn't the first time a friend or family member of mine has gone through this. Chances are, he'll be deported. Maybe he'll sneak back into the country? That's what every one else I know did.
To give background, I was born in this country. In the mid 80's to the mid 90's many south americans illegally immigrated to this country, and two of them were my parents. Thankfully for my brothers and I, my parents had the sense to give birth to us in the U.S. making us citizens. None of my friends growing up could say the same.
Can you imagine growing up in this country since you were 2, 3, 4 years old, but not being legal? It's one thing to hate an undocumented immigrant who chose to come in illegally, but how can you hate someone who never had an option? Their entire lives were exactly the same as yours.
The town I grew up in had a large south american community. Thousands of people. It wasn't until I was about 16 that I realized that every boy I hung out with since I was young, was illegal. The reason I realized is that when it came time to get a drivers license and a car, I was the only one that could.
Next, high school graduation came. I was never the smartest one in my group, but some of the kids were borderline genius. The most intelligent of the group was dead set on college, but because he was undocumented, they had to pay out of state tuition, and set up this huge system of him technically living in another state. Not only did he have to go through all this effort, but pay much more than the kid that sat next to him in class his entire life, all from a decision that he didn't even make, from when he was 2 years old.
The next time it hit me, was in my early twenties. I had a corporate job, enjoying all the benefits that came with it. Paid time off, health insurance, etc. Most of my friends? A combination of labor and restaurant jobs.. some had fake identities so maybe they found something else, but good luck getting a real job with a fake social.
A few of them were the types that nothing could stop them. Opened up their own construction businesses using a network of loopholes and they've doing great for themselves, especially for being in their mid-20's. The type of guys that if they were legal would probably on their way to being millionaires somehow.
I've only spoken about my friends, but my mother was actually legalized a few years ago. She went about 25 years as an undocumented immigrant running a house keeping business. Once my older brother turned 21, my mother hired a lawyer, and she's been a legal citizen ever since. I'll never forget that day, not having to fear for your mother being ripped out of your life. She entered school at 50 years old, graduated and works in the medical field.
My father though, was deported. Thankfully (if that's the right word) he wasn't a major part of my life. The court date was brutal though, even with us being estranged. They broadcasted his face on a tv instead of having him in court. Looked like he aged 20 years in just a few weeks. That was the last time I've ever seen him.
A few of my uncles were deported as well. Seeing my young cousins going through that was devastating. They snuck back in though. A few parents of friends were deported and returned the same way. It's just a day in the life for us I guess.
It sucks because for all of the good things that Obama did with DREAM and etc, he was bad also due to his high number of deportations. Being from a community highly connected to anything immigration-related, I can personally attest that fear has only heightened thanks to Trump. I can only offer anecdotes, but I feel that ICE has become emboldened. Only time will tell.
To the people who have a hardline stance against undocumented immigrants, I ask you to find some compassion because the majority of people here illegally come from backgrounds you can't imagine living in. Third world countries, gangs, corrupt governments, war, terror, famine. They are good people. Many immigrants pay taxes, because they know it can be a factor once they inevitably get caught. Of course there are some bad people, but that's human nature.
I won't disagree that breaking the law is breaking the law, but why does the kid who has been here for 24 out of his 26 years deserve to shipped off to another country? No job prospects. a lack of mastery of the language, no education applicable to the country, no friends, no family. Prison would be better.
I just needed to get these thoughts off of my chest. I don't have a solution, but I guess I'm just sad right now for my friend.
Today I received word that my good friend was taken in by ICE while working this past weekend. I guess he's been in jail for a few days while waiting for court on the 20th. He told me he hasn't been able to bathe, brush his teeth, or eat food. In his words "it's been a living hell".
This isn't the first time a friend or family member of mine has gone through this. Chances are, he'll be deported. Maybe he'll sneak back into the country? That's what every one else I know did.
To give background, I was born in this country. In the mid 80's to the mid 90's many south americans illegally immigrated to this country, and two of them were my parents. Thankfully for my brothers and I, my parents had the sense to give birth to us in the U.S. making us citizens. None of my friends growing up could say the same.
Can you imagine growing up in this country since you were 2, 3, 4 years old, but not being legal? It's one thing to hate an undocumented immigrant who chose to come in illegally, but how can you hate someone who never had an option? Their entire lives were exactly the same as yours.
The town I grew up in had a large south american community. Thousands of people. It wasn't until I was about 16 that I realized that every boy I hung out with since I was young, was illegal. The reason I realized is that when it came time to get a drivers license and a car, I was the only one that could.
Next, high school graduation came. I was never the smartest one in my group, but some of the kids were borderline genius. The most intelligent of the group was dead set on college, but because he was undocumented, they had to pay out of state tuition, and set up this huge system of him technically living in another state. Not only did he have to go through all this effort, but pay much more than the kid that sat next to him in class his entire life, all from a decision that he didn't even make, from when he was 2 years old.
The next time it hit me, was in my early twenties. I had a corporate job, enjoying all the benefits that came with it. Paid time off, health insurance, etc. Most of my friends? A combination of labor and restaurant jobs.. some had fake identities so maybe they found something else, but good luck getting a real job with a fake social.
A few of them were the types that nothing could stop them. Opened up their own construction businesses using a network of loopholes and they've doing great for themselves, especially for being in their mid-20's. The type of guys that if they were legal would probably on their way to being millionaires somehow.
I've only spoken about my friends, but my mother was actually legalized a few years ago. She went about 25 years as an undocumented immigrant running a house keeping business. Once my older brother turned 21, my mother hired a lawyer, and she's been a legal citizen ever since. I'll never forget that day, not having to fear for your mother being ripped out of your life. She entered school at 50 years old, graduated and works in the medical field.
My father though, was deported. Thankfully (if that's the right word) he wasn't a major part of my life. The court date was brutal though, even with us being estranged. They broadcasted his face on a tv instead of having him in court. Looked like he aged 20 years in just a few weeks. That was the last time I've ever seen him.
A few of my uncles were deported as well. Seeing my young cousins going through that was devastating. They snuck back in though. A few parents of friends were deported and returned the same way. It's just a day in the life for us I guess.
It sucks because for all of the good things that Obama did with DREAM and etc, he was bad also due to his high number of deportations. Being from a community highly connected to anything immigration-related, I can personally attest that fear has only heightened thanks to Trump. I can only offer anecdotes, but I feel that ICE has become emboldened. Only time will tell.
To the people who have a hardline stance against undocumented immigrants, I ask you to find some compassion because the majority of people here illegally come from backgrounds you can't imagine living in. Third world countries, gangs, corrupt governments, war, terror, famine. They are good people. Many immigrants pay taxes, because they know it can be a factor once they inevitably get caught. Of course there are some bad people, but that's human nature.
I won't disagree that breaking the law is breaking the law, but why does the kid who has been here for 24 out of his 26 years deserve to shipped off to another country? No job prospects. a lack of mastery of the language, no education applicable to the country, no friends, no family. Prison would be better.
I just needed to get these thoughts off of my chest. I don't have a solution, but I guess I'm just sad right now for my friend.
