I was 10 when we crossed the border without papers. I built a family here — but it could all be taken away.
Hugo Carrasco writes a touching and honest account of building a life and a family in the U.S. for Salon. The following excerpt succinctly gets to the heart of the issue that Justice For Our Neighbors cares so deeply about – keeping family together.
I’m an advocate now and have been meeting with members of Congress to share my story and explain why we need immigration reform to keep families like mine together. Millions of immigrants like me are unable to become legal residents because of a previous conviction, but we deserve a second chance. I need to work to support my family, and I need documents in order to do that lawfully.
I may have come into this country without papers, but it’s the only life I’ve ever known. If I’m sent back to Chihuahua, my children won’t have their father by their side, and my wife won’t have the support she needs and deserves. Who could ever call that justice?
