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.

Kristina Arredondo

My husband I have been together for a long time.  We have three children whom are 1,4 and 7. On March 06,2008 my husband got deported.  ICE came into our home and took him right in front of our kids.  They took him like a piece of trash.  They took my husband away from me.  They took a father away from his children.  How could they be so cruel?  I don’t understand.

I saw my husband February of this year.  It is sad how Mexico has no running water.  It is sad to see people live the way they do. My kids and I enjoyed it because we got to see him but only stayed a month and had to come back.  It was hard.  I pray he gets to come home but I do not know because it has been a year already….. It’s hard raising three kids on my own.

High School Sophomore - Chicago

I am a sophomore in high school. You know how bad it feels to know that I have no future in this country? I have good grades in school. I have A’s B’s and my GPA is 3.5, which is not bad. ... No one deserves to be deported, taken away from their families. As an immigrant, I would like to speak out for each and every single one of us! ... Read More

Norma Zavala

I am writing to ask for your assistance and that you ask for the assistance of the whole world community. My name is Nora and my husband Noe is from Honduras.  He is here, as are so many others, without papers. We have tried but there is no way to fix his papers without him leaving or waiting for reform. As you may be aware, Honduras is one of those countries where immigrants have been elgible to get TPS (temporary protective status). However he did not qualify because he has only been here eight years not ten. However the reasons for which our government would give people TPS are a natural disaster or armed political conflict or such things that would make it unsafe for the people to be sent back during a time of crisis. While many Hondurans here are happy to see their old president displaced, I can tell you they are all worried about what is going to happen next. The UN won’t support the new government and they have closed the borders to commerce.

My husband finally got to talk to his sister in Honduras last night who told us that his brother, who just got deported to there four months ago, has been forced to join the army. The Government picks up all able men they see on the streets and take them by force. So I am asking you to help. I will send emails to whomever I have to, I just don’t know who that is and I know that you do, and I am asking you to go the same, and to ask the nation to do the same, because the people from Honduras that are here without papers deserve to get TPS and be protected because of this crisis.

Reynaldo DeSilva

Born in Manila in 1953, this is the story of Reynaldo DeSilva.  With a wife and three young daughters, he immigrated to the United States of America in 1986 seeking Political Asylum for his family.  Left fatherless as a young child, he was forced to go to work at the age of seven to help support four younger siblings, while living in conditions that most Americans would consider inhumane.  After living in fear for his family’s welfare for more than a decade, he petitioned for Political Asylum from the United States.  Upon their arrival, he was issued a work permit and a valid Social Security card.  Sheer perseverance and determination kept him working two fulltime minimum wage jobs to support his family.  Even though he held two full time jobs, in the beginning he was forced to move his family into the Salvation Army for several months. He often volunteered what little free time he had to help feed the homeless in their soup kitchen.  Although he had learned to speak English, he was unfamiliar with American terminology.  This caused him to fail the Department of Motor Vehicles written exam seven times. Being a man of high moral ethics he refused to drive the used vehicle he had managed to buy until he had a valid driver’s license, therefore, he continued to walk miles to his jobs. On the eighth attempt he passed the exam and was issued a drivers license.  After the birth of his fourth daughter, his wife abandoned him and their children. Once again, he was forced to bare the burden of sole support for four young children, just as he had done for the beloved siblings he left behind in Manila.  In the following years he held multiple jobs, capitalizing on every opportunity to advance himself while filing and paying his share of Income Taxes. As the children grew older, he attended a two year technical school at night and graduated at the top of his class.  He went on to obtain multiple certifications in the field of commercial maintenance.

In 1999 he met and later married his current wife, an American citizen. Taking over the role of stepfather to her four year old daughter, he now supported seven family members.  High work ethics and personal integrity quickly propelled him through years of solid employment. Now coveted by employers, he obtained his current position as a certified full charge maintenance manager in 2003. Greatly admired and respected by his superiors, the 131 residents he serves at the apartment community where he is employed and his fellow parishioners, he unselfishly offers his assistance to anyone in need and enriches the lives of everyone he meets. As a highly responsible parent, he has put one daughter through nursing school and is currently paying the tuition of another daughters second year of college. He has walked two daughters down the aisle. He is proud to be the loving grandfather of four young grandchildren. In 1990, after living and working in this country for over four years, the Department of Immigration and Naturalization denied his Political Asylum.  He immediately appealed that decision. The appeal was denied in 1994. A second appeal was filed that same year. Although this appeal was subsequently denied in 2001, there was never a deportation order issued and he continued to work under a valid Social Security card.

In November of 2008, with the assistance of a United States Immigration Attorney he attempted to file for his green card.  He and his wife were assured that their nine year marriage would be sufficient to fulfill all legal requirements to obtain the card.  After the United States Immigration Attorney filed the procedural paperwork, an “order of supervision” was put in place by Immigration Officials.  This order required that he report to his local Immigration office in January 2009, March 2009, May 2009 and August 2009.  Promptly reporting to the first three ordered dates, the Department of Immigration recorded the fact that he was reporting as ordered.  During this time, the Attorney advised them that the supervision order could also be appealed and no further contact from Immigration Officials were received by either themselves or the Attorney.  On June 24, 2009 he received a telephone call requesting his presence at the local Immigration office the following day to change dates on his current Immigration paperwork.  As ordered, he and his wife reported to this office the following morning. Upon arrival, he was escorted to another room for what was perceived to be a short meeting.  An Immigration Officer then proceeded to inform his wife that he had been arrested and would be transported to another facility for deportation. In conclusion, this law abiding and well respected husband, father, grandfather and friend of many is now in jail awaiting deportation with little to no recourse.

Anonymous

“You think of a widow as a little old lady sitting in a rocking chair with knitting needles. When I lost my husband, I was 50. I felt I was the only 50-year-old widow. No one could possibly have ever gone through what I was enduring. I remember not wanting to wash Stuart’s clothes, because they smelled like him. I was trying to hold on to something. I would curl up and cry on his pillow every night because it smelled like him. I would bury my face in the shirt he had worn the day before and just sob. How could he be gone? I could still smell him.  This was one of the last remaining parts of him. Life had no meaning, my heart and soul were shattered. I would get up in the morning and pour myself into nursing my patients with nothing to look forward to at the end of the day. I would fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning praying this was just a dream. Everyday I had to face reality, he was gone forever. Read more.

Maria Barreto, CA

I’ve been living in this country for over 10 YEARS, in a legal status.  I Went to school to learn English, became a RN nurse, and have my License to work in California. I have always paid my taxes, have 2 AMERICAN SONS, 9 and 8 years old.  Immigration DENIED my EAD card renovation because of a simple mistake. No respect at all!!!! Sometimes I ask to my self? Why try so hard to be legal in this country if they don’t care at all for nothing.  10 years is not 10 days!!!!!

Anonymous

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 illegaly when I was 7 years old.  From the age of 7 to 17 I had an every day 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 his 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, have bought a home and are working for a US company in Mexico.

In our city just a couple of weeks ago there was a shootout between the military and drug lords who have taken over an area about 2 miles down the road from where we live.  Also, we get constantly harassed by city transits because we have a car from the US, in an attempt to get money from us. Thank you for reading.

Maria

have decided that a tiny little piece of paper and a 9-digit number are not going to decide what I am or what I am not. I don’t define myself by my undocumented status. Yes, I am undocumented, but I am an American first.  Read more.

Melanie Caruso - Artesia, California

My husband was taken into the custody of ICE in December 2008 and was in jail for almost 2 months before being deported to Argentina. He came here legally in 1994 and was misrepresented in court and ordered deported. He did not leave but instead started a case with a new lawyer to try to undo what the first lawyer did.  We met in 2004 and we have two children together that are now 3 and 4 years old. They scream out in the night for their father.  My husband has doesn’t have a criminal record, he paid taxes, he had health , dental and life insurance. He had a wonderful job.  We lost our first home that we purchased, our jobs, our cars…everything.  My children and I moved to Argentina but the poverty was so great that my husband unselfishly sent us back to live with my family.  He has a 10-year bar and we are trying to get that waived. Please help us by signing the petition. Please help us. Thank you.  I ask you to please visit our website: http://www.bringmarcelobackhome.moogo.com as we are trying to get petitions signed.

Brenda Gamez - Inglewood, California

As a an outreach counselor for a local university in Orange County California, I see so many students have their dreams crushed when they get to senior year of high school.  Some I see even earlier, Students who know that they do not have a bright future without legal status. Students stop taking school seriously as early as 7 or 8th grade.  They know that they will end up looking for jobs when they get older but will not be able to legally obtain one.  These are students that have been born and raised here in the United States or their entire life. This is the place they call home.  They are just as American as the kid sitting next to them in class.  Why is it that we have to limit their potential just because they were born on the wrong side of the border.  I was once one of those students, luckily I had an opportunity to take advantage of an immigration reform law. This allowed me to become the productive individual I am today As an outreach counselor pursuing a Master’s degree in Higher Education. I do everything in my power to help undocumented and documented students gain access higher education, but it is sometimes sad to hear and see that these students are being held back by political views.

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

Tatsiana D. - Alhambra, California

Hello! My name is Tatsiana and I would like to share my story.  I came in US 9 years ago from Belarus on K-1 (fiancée) visa. The petitioner of a visa was a US citizen from Afghanistan, who I dated for over 2 years in my country (I met him thru my friends).  He said that people here are able to get married by signing and mailing in an application. I spoke no English and had no idea what he gave me to sign. A few months went by, and a Marriage Certificate never came in the mail.

Because I spoke no English, Fareed found me a job a cross the street at the car wash.  I was a car washer went to learn English after work. When my Work Authorization was expired, I asked him to renew it.  Instead, he brought me a fake EAD. I also found out from his tax report that he was single.

He slept only 2-3 times a week in our home. I was experiencing all forms of violence you could only imagine. I learned not to ask him any questions.

After about 1.5 years I got a “U” Interim Relief Deferred Action and was able to work and get a drivers license. Later I met the man that I would soon marry.  My attorney told me that I could get permanent residency thru a “U” visa, but marriage would be faster.  So we got marry. Since we applied for an adjustment of status every thing was denied (appeals, motions to reconsider)(except I-130), because I didn’t marry my original petitioner with in 90 days. I did my own research and found out that Deferred Action is not a status. Because the government delayed to issue regulations for “U” visa for 7 years, I was not supposed to be able to file for an adjustment of status.  I could only extend Deferred Action every year.  In all I have spent about $ 20,000 in immigration and lawyer fees (every thing that I have made here since I came).

Currently I’m in a deportation proceeding.  My husband and I don’t know what is going to happen. We are also expecting a baby in about 2 weeks. In a little more than a year ago I applied for an actual “U” visa.  But I have very little hope that I will get it.  I’m sure they are many people like me, who came here ILEGALLY but became victims of violence and fraud.  There is no law for these type of situations. Our family is facing separation and my husband doesn’t speak Russian.  Who will accept us if we do immigrate?

Thank you for letting me share my story. 

Anonymous, California

I am a Russian national married to a US citizen for 3 years. We have been together for almost 10 years, 6 of which we have spent living together in my native St-Petersburg, Russia.  Since 2002 I have had several tourist visas to the US, visiting my future husband’s family and exploring the area where he grew up. During my visit in 2005 my then boyfriend (future husband) came with me and decided that he needed to stay in the US (he is involved with a Professional Medical Transitions business). He proposed to me and we got married in December 2005. We applied for my adjustment of status, based on marriage to become a US citizen.  We still do not have an answer.  Just because my husband is 31 years my senior the USCIS has made up unbelievable and ridiculous stories about us “not living together” and not having enough money in the joint account (my husband has suffered a stroke in 2006 and is not working full time, because he is still recovering), etc.  We have submitted every possible piece of evidence to prove our valid marriage, have paid all dues, have applied, received and reapplied for my EAD, fingerprints, etc. We have filed an appeal after our case was denied, though none of the people who could testify that we have a legitimate marriage have been contacted.

I feel like we are all alone and no matter how many applications, papers, requests, appeals we send and pay for, we would not be considered for even a fair investigation of our case. USCIS has been keeping our case hostage and would not send it to the Board of Appeals for over 7 months now… I don’t know what else to do and who else to contact for help. My congressman has been informed about my case since day one and has been trying to assist us, but nothing is developing and it seems like my status will never be determined.  The worst thing about this all is that my husband and I have been together for so long - most of marriages don’t even last half of that time.

Please do something about the immigration process and help those, like me, who came to this country legally, have obtained necessary documentation, have been working and paying taxes, complying with the law and actually improving this country’s education system.  I am an Academic Manager of a English language school for International students.

This is my story in a nut shell - I just hope that someone would read and maybe recognize themselves in it and join together to finally make the USCIS do something. 

Maria Alejandra Morales

I married a U.S. citizen on June 23, 2003 and in July 2003 my husband submitted the request for a resident visa.  On November 2004 my husband past away in Puerto Rico and because of this the American Embassy granted me a visa type B2 so that I could remain in Puerto Rico for a week. When I reached the airport in San Juan, the immigration officer reviewed my passport and visa and gave me 6 months permission to stay in Puerto Rico in order to resolve matters relating to the death of my husband.

Aurora Gonzalez - San Antonio, TX

I am a American citizen and married to Mexican for 10 years now. We have two children, ages 9 and 6, born and raised in the U.S., and one on the way. I am a military veteran and love my country!! I filed for my husband in 1999. The I-129 and I-130 were both approved but he was not able to obtain an affidavit of support so we stopped the process. In 2001 my husband was stopped by the police and was voluntary deported.  After he was deported I could not obtain any records thru immigration on his deportation and after years of looking for records I re-filed and again everything was approved. In 2008 my husband was sent a letter to go to Cuidad Juarez and apply for a K-3 Visa.  However, once there he was given a 10-year ban. We have spent over $8,000 dollars in lawyer fees and travel. I don’t think it is fair for and my children and I to have to have to move to Mexico and completely change our lifestyles in order for our family not to be broken up! It is not right that after I serving my country, my country will not accept my husband. Many people with felonies are getting waivers. Those that are here are just trying to support their families but are treated like criminals and not able to get any help! I am selling everything we own and moving my family to Monterrey N.l to be with the love of my life.  I just hope that we can adjust to a different lifestyle. I pray that President Obama will realize the damage that this 3/10 year bar is causing for many families!!

Citizen’s Wife Deported

I am a U.S.-born citizen. ... My family has fallen victim to deportation hearings. ... My wife has lived here illegally for 9 years but has never broken any laws and she pays taxes. ... Our lawyer says we don’t qualify for any relief from removal. My wife has 120 days from the hearing to depart the U.S. if we take the voluntary departure.

How is a husband suppossed to willingly agree to a ten year separation from his wife?  How are our children supposed to grow up without their mother? We have a seven year old son named Jhan and a three month old daughter named Shakira.

We need an immediate moratorium on all deportations that separate families. We need an immediate cancellation of all deportations that separate families until comprehensive immigration reform can be passed by Congress. ... Read More

Anonymous - Washington, DC

How many hoops do we have to jump through? You don’t know in how many ways you can fail to stay legal in the US nowadays until you take a look at how many hoops I have jumped through and still failed to keep a legal status in the end… Read More

Marc Brands - Wheeling, WV

...During my career at Carnegie Mellon University I decided I should apply for permanent residency…Only at that point I realized enormous bureaucratic hurdles that had to be cleared.

....As got off the plane in Phoenix I received the news that the DOS revoked their initial July posting and made all immigrant visas unavailable and that the USICS would reject any applicant’s application…I was devastated, angry and almost in tears. The DOS incorrectly estimated the demand of immigrant visas and thus had published this unprecedented movement in the July Visa Bulletin but then revoked their decision.

...My situation is just one story of millions, literally. I can not think of any immigrant that I know personally that does not have some sort of horror story of their own… Read more

Anonymous - Eden Prairie, MN

...Then after one week I just calculated how much money and effort I had spent for last 2 to 3 weeks.

Lawyer fees to file AOS, EAD and AP for myself and my wife - $3600
Medical Exam - $375
Photo - $90
Fedex Air Express - $90 (3 times we have to send the details to lawyer)
Copier and other services - $20
I took off on 2 days - 16 hrs of work(16*45) - 720
Taxi(my wife has to travel to get some of the paper work) - $175
USCIS filing fee - $1300 (which they may or may not return)

So a total of $6280 which I had spent for this because of this July visa bulletin… Read more

Anonymous - Anaheim, CA

My parents came to the U.S. illegally to pay off their debts in our country. They divorced and my mom married an American three years ago. He helped me to to support paperwork to U.S as an international student and my mom sponsored my green card. I got approved, but have to wait for at least eight years to get one! I have been here for three years now. I am living with my father who has no way how to obtain legal documentation. We have to lie on daily basis to be able to support ourselves, earn some money, and pay for my nonresident tuition… Read more

Anthony & Vanessa Mansfield - Davenport, FL

We sent our applications for AOS on July 2nd and the applications arrived the following morning. We had no idea about the revised bulletin until several days later! We have been on J1 visas (not subject to HRR) since August 2004 and they expire on Sep 9. We tried for H1B but the cap was met on the 1st day. We are high school math teachers and make a significant difference to the lives of the students we teach. When the July bulletin was released in June we dismissed other visa options as we believed we were able to file AOS…

Anonymous - Washington, DC

I came in the US as a minor with my mother. I graduated in the top 10 of my class and was offered full scholarship to the top schools but I couldn’t go because of my status. I am now married to an Army soldier. We’ve been married for 3 years and have a child together but I’m still in deportation. I support my husband 100% and I love this country. My son is US citizen and there’s no way his father is letting me take him to Africa. I want to be able to go to college and give my son a chance in this country as well.

Aaron Yaw - Maybelvale, AR

My name is Aaron Yaw and I am writing to you in regards of the immigration bill that is in congress and about my family. I am a United States citizen by birth, my wife is a Mexican citizen, two of our kids are United States citizen’s by birth, and our new born is a Mexican citizen by birth. My family is currently going through the immigration process and we have been for three and a half years now.  I have been separated from my wife and children for one year and two months now… Read More

Luciana Botello - Phoenix, AZ

My story is simply this one, just because im not a citizen or resident i did not have a chance to get a scholarship that i was offer for college. I was really disappointed because i work and studied just as hard as a resident or a student that was born here. It’s not fair that just because i was not born here takes my chances of getting the same chances.

Anonymous - Buford, GA

I am a U.S. citizen.  My stepson, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, has just completed high school with a 3.0 average. He wants to attend college… Read More

Anonymous - Florida

I have been sponsored by my US Citizen Sister in 2001, and I have to wait 12!!! Years to get my visa… Read More

Anonymous - Georgia

My husband came to America almost twenty years ago as an 18 year old with the idea he would make more than enough money to send home to take care of his ailing mother and his older sister… Read More

Anonymous - Nevada

My husband was deported 5 years ago… Read More

Anonymous - New Hampshire

I am illegal here ( overstays ). I had college diploma from Sydney, Australia. First time I came here just for holiday, but I met friends and one of them I married… Read More

Anonymous - Ohio

Hi am a 19 year old female who is in the U.S. illegally. I have been here for 14 years, I was brought here by my aunt… Read More

Maria - Phoenix, AZ

My mom met my dad here in the United States, they lived together for a while, then my mom got pregnant with me… Read More

Anonymous

At my wedding I made a promise to my husband, before God, our priest and the entirety of our family and friends, declaring that the only force strong enough to separate us would be death.  It is now six months later, and I have learned that even Death is no match for the U.S. immigration system…. Read More

Melany Hansen - Oakton, VA

I have 4 children, two of which are adopted from Guatemala. I was introduced to a young woman and I’d like to share her story with you and ask for your advice to her… Read More

Kavi - San Jose, CA

The Immigration system is so broken here - that people like my husband, who is still on an H1-B visa after 8 years of having worked in the United States, spend tens of thousands of dollars trying to obtain a Green card and then several H1-B extensions… Read More

Kanwaldeep Arneja - North Billerica, MA

I came to US in 2003. I have struggled, worked my way up in the company, played by the rules and have given my best to assimilate in this country. Out of many countries I could immigrate to, I chose US for many reasons. But the top reason was its warmth towards immigrants and its genuine promise that if you work hard, there are opportunities and then no limits… Read More

Anonymous

...Mrs. K who has no criminal history, remains in Romania to this day with the couple’s young daughter separated from Mr. K and her son.  The couple has no recourse for bringing Mrs. K to the United States to rejoin her husband and son… Read More