Real Immigrant Stories

The people below are not alone.  Our broken immigration system affect tens of millions of lives every year.  Too often, their stories go untold, please read what they have to say.  Do you have an immigration story that you would like to tell?  Click here to share your story.

Leonardo Toledo - Floral Park, NY

My story is one part of this vast mosaic of families being torn apart by current immigration laws.

It reads as follows:

“THIS BLOG IS AN ATTEMPT TO GET MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY TOGETHER AND START A DISCUSSION ABOUT IMMIGRATION REFORM.  FOR 19 YEARS OF MY ADULT LIFE I LIVED IN NEW YORK CITY.  I HAVE TWO AMERICAN BORN SONS 18 AND 17 YEARS OLD.  I WAS RECENTLY DEPORTED. MY BRAZILIAN WIFE IS ALSO FACING THE SAME IMMIGRATION PROCEDURE AS I HAD…I AM TRYING TO PUT A GOOD FACE NOT JUST ON WHAT HAPPENED TO ME AND MY FAMILY BY ON WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING AS ILLEGAL ALIEN FAMILY. I AM ATTEMPTING TO RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS BEING HAPPENING ACROSS THIS GREAT NATION.

THE DEPORTATION PROCESS WAS SOMETHING I NEVER ANTICIPATED.  THE WORST IS THE WAY YOU FEEL, BEING RIPPED APART FROM YOUR FAMILY AND ORDINARY LIFE… LIFE HAS LOST ITS MEANING… MY FAMILY IS NOT ALONE.  A LOT AMERICAN FAMILIES ARE BEING TORN APART.  WE NEED IMMIGRATION REFORM THE RIGHT WAY, WITH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS VOTING FOR IT…

MY HOPE IS TO BE ALLOWED BACK IN THE US, TO RESUME MY LIFE WITH MY FAMILY, TO PAY MY TAXES, MY BILLS, TO BE ABLE TO SEE MY SON’S GRADUATIONS FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE.  LIKE A DREAM, THAT SEEMS TO BE FAR FETCHED FROM WHERE I AM NOW, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE…”

I have it posted on my Blog: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/leonardotoledo/gGx2Hd