Skip to main content

Immigration Reform - Do you know what it's like to be deported?

I hope the law enforcement will be wise enough not to just arbitrarily question someone who's not white. However, if you live in AZ and crime is up, you would want to get something done to enforce the law.


I for one agree there's got to be Immigration Reform BUT should not only favor one race. People say to go in line. But what if there is no other legal option to get an entry to this country? It shouldn’t take 20 years for a sibling to petition a brother or sister while other countries’ take shorter amount of time.

Having family members deported after living here for 20 years (on-and-out of status) and after incompetent lawyers screwed up any chances of legal status, and US Embassies “teasing” us of hope of re-entry only to be denied once and twice, I sometimes wonder if there’ll ever be a comprehensive Immigration Reform.

The experience of being detained for 30 days, the experience of being removed from a country you grew up in for the past 20 years, the experience of not being able to touch or hug or say good-bye to your loved ones, the experience of freedom being taken away from you, the experience of being chained and hand-cuffed, the experience of having ICE officers pointing a gun to your crying 8yo son at 2am in your own home, the experience of losing a loved one – broken marriages and being separated from your child(ren), the experience of hope being snatched from your being – those experiences I don’t want any one to experience. (But that’s what my 3 young brothers experienced when they were picked-up and detained!)

If the US enforced the laws, maybe none of this would have happened! If the immigration lawyers did their jobs well and  conscientiously, none of this would have happened.Why allow anyone to live here for twenty years and only for that lifestyle and community to be taken away? If the immigration lawyers did their jobs well and conscientiously, none of this would have happened. If we weren’t trusting, hopeful and ignorant, none of this would have happened! If we were lucky like the others (esp those who applied in CA or those close to the border) who were able to skirt the law and got into the first Amnesty Bill, then none of this would have happened! But we were the "unlucky" ones! We didn't want to hide, we wanted to have legal status and yet...we were kicked out and doors were slammed!

The President in one of his many speeches this week commented that AZ illegal alien law is “poorly conceived” . He also said that said that illegals shouldn’t be harrassed with requests for papers, but rather the US should “make them register, make them pay a fine, make them learn English.

My family did just that! We hired lawyers, spent tens and thousands of dollars of our hard earned income, paid taxes, didn’t ask for welfare, speak and write English, paid numerous lawyers to renew expired visas, and yet, 6 out of 8 of my family members were deported! And recently, one of my brothers filed a waiver to re-apply but denied by the US because the US didn’t think there’s any extreme hardship for a father to be separated from his 2 young US-born children and US citizen wife. What is extreme hardship?

I am for Immigration Reform and enforcing the laws and I hope and pray that the legislators are not in it just to collect votes or appease one group of registered voters.

Comments

  1. My heart goes out to your family. I think the migration laws of this country need to be rewritten from the ground up! This is horrible. We are a country of immigrants, yet many forget that. My great-grandfather came to this country from Germany. My husbands, from Switzerland. My Best Friends husband was from Poland and the hoops she had to jump through was CRAZY. They even questioned her marriage at one point because they didn't have any children. I also think that asking people to carry documentation is a scary, scary slope we are sliding on.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I feel so sad for your family. Hugs to you, my friend. I missed you.

    God Bless.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just dropping by to wish you a great day and may God bless you. Ingat ka rin! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. That must be SO, SO frustrating!! Could you write a letter to your congressman or something?

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is devastating to read about your brother. I 100% agree with this new law in AZ. It's outrageous!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Praying you find a solution for your family situation.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jen...

    Let me say this again... some brain cells of some peoples' brains have irreversibly atrophied.:(((...:(((!

    Ever a friend of the good citizens of America,
    Ate M.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You should send this letter to the newspapers, our representatives in the Senate and House of Representatives, and the White House.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for all your kind words and letting me vent.
    I did write to the Congress, the White House. But I got a "formal" response.
    The next step for me is to write to a newspaper or television (wish me luck)
    Thanks for listening!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Completed my first 16 Week IsaBody Challenge: Believe You Have A Purpose

My family is what matters most to me.  I’m 51 and a mother of 4 (ages 14 – 26). I wanted to be healthier, more active and stronger not just for me, but for the people I love.  I wanted to set an example for my family that we each possess the tools to master our wellness and vitality. I've always been petite except when I was pregnant ( when I gained an average of 50 pounds per pregnancy - 4 times!) Over the years I had tried various diet and exercise regimens, and I did enjoy a degree of success, but the results were not to the level I hoped for, and they were somewhat short lived.   Achieving stable, long-lasting results proved stubbornly elusive.    Then when I hit menopause everything became more difficult.    My body stopped cooperating altogether, and I was constantly grumpy. My waist and hips expanded and I found myself napping in the afternoons.    I started to accept the idea that there would be this new, less vibrant version of me. I just completed my P

SPICE-up a young child's development: social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional

Children are the precious gems of a family. When they’re young and innocent, they are like sponges that willingly and quickly absorb any knowledge and emotion. That’s why at an early age, we encourage our children to read, be creative, be happy and feed their curiosity. With all the technology and instant gratification that children get from playing video or computer games, asking a child to read a good book has been a challenge for some parents .     “Your children are not your children.       They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.       They come through you but not from you,       And though they are with you, and yet they belong not to you.       You may give them your love but not your thoughts,        For they have their own thoughts.        You may house their bodies but not their souls,        For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,        which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.” -                     Kahlil Gibr

Immigration and Family: Will my mom ever get to see my daughter walk down the aisle

Last year when my father passed away in the Philippines, I went home and took some time to visit the U.S. Embassy in Manila to ask what the options are for my mother to return to the U.S. The consul reminded me of the 10-year travel ban. That on or after November 8, 2015 — not earlier – or 10 years after my mom, was deported in 2005 for overstaying her visa, I can email the U.S. Embassy and inquire about my mother’s approved petition. I asked if I need to file another petition, and she informed me I didn’t have to. I asked if I could… and she stopped me and said to ask everything on or after November 8, 2015. This is where I am, and where my thoughts are drifting as I celebrate this month my 16th American birthday. I am counting the months, the weeks and the days. My daughter is getting married in January 2016 and I would love to have my entire family, especially my mother, to be here when that momentous occasion happens.

Helping others surpass their goals and expectations

"It's not about the end goal. It's who you become by consistently pushing to the edge of your limits." - Robin Sharma Do you ever wonder why you stumble on new things?  Do you ever wonder why unsuspecting strangers cross your path? Do you ever wonder why your mind takes you to a direction you didn't think exist? I was walking to StarBucks to meet my husband when I noticed a sign...

Still shaky, skidded in snow, but so blessed my guardian angels are looking after me!

"Never again wonder, what to be thankful for..."   - Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life It’s yet another snowy day in New Jersey. Beautiful, yes but dangerous! In line with my goal for this month is to get back on schedule. I got up around 4am to get my 15yo ready for his Model United Nations conference. (Thankful that our neighbor offered to drive him to school by 5:30am ) I got my 9yo ready for school and I'm thankful that my other neighbor offered to drive him to school. I then drove my husband to the train station to Manhattan. I decided to stop by the Community Center and decided to run a fast 5K on the treadmill. I was 1 mile short because I was so sweaty and hot. (Note to self: dress lightly next time) While cooling down inside the car, I read Day 14’s chapter of Rick Warren's the “Purpose Driven Life” book. I felt really good because it just reminded me that there is always something to be thankful for no matter how awful yo