Coming out of the shadows

I have a lot of close friends they dont even know about my status. i have been avoiding this but i know i must tell them soon. These guys are always there for me we hang out everyday heck we made a bboy crew.
Ive known these guys for 5+years, some since i was in 4th grade. i am now turning 17 in february

How should i tell them? Any tips?

No, don't tell them.

Do you think you will get cookie points if you tell them? The world doesn't work that way.

Keep it to yourself, telling others will only cause more problems for yourself and your family.

I know that, but they always talk about Drivers licenses and about all of us going to the same college which makes it inevitable that they will find out sooner or later.

So far i have been able to avoid any question about college and driving and it has been hard

Just tell them you will get it later.

You have to realize this also affects your family, so don't make dumb decision.

You have to consider which is more important, your family or your friends.

My thoughts have always been you can always make new friends, but you only have one family.

btw one of my friend's parents are illegal im sure he would understand (Hes a USC)

Im still undecisive on whether i should tell them or not. Its going to be a tough decision (i have only 6 close friends and i tried to have the least possible because of my status.

You can't make judgment calls when you and your family lives are at stake.

Okay,

I have been following this forum for many months now and when I saw this question and the answers given, I just can not let this go. I can't.

This is truly a very frightening thing to do especially when you follow the news and see the comments being made against us. How we are all criminals and thieves and all this bullshit.

Listen, I don't know you or the kind of relationship you have with your friends but it sounds really solid since you've known them for a long time. If it is indeed really solid and you guys are good, close friends then the result will turn out something like mine.

You have to remember, we are all human and not all cold-hearted as all those rich bastards in congress.

I arrived in the US when I was 11 and I clearly remember befriending this one white guy when we were both in seventh grade. His name is X. I don't know how I did it but with my broken English and limited vocabulary we became pretty good friends.

When we got to High School, our friendship got stronger. We were in the Waterpolo and Swimming teams together for all 4 years and lettered for 3. We went through a lot of insanely hard work outs together and did everything as typical Americans. Prom, parties, studying for SAT's at Borders and all that stuff. I always considered myself as a nerdy jock and when I saw my fellow AP classmates being mocked or pushed around(AKA bullied), even by my own teammates, I always stood up for them. It felt so fucking good to help people even if it means getting pranked on later in practice.

Inevitably, the topic of driving licenses and financial aid for college came up and it was really uncomfortable. I didn't really think much about it but back then when I was 11, deep inside I knew I was undocumented. What kind of 11 year old worries about immigration lol?

I managed to avoid the interrogations by kinda lying and telling the truth at the same time. I said I wasn't really preoccupied to get a DL since I could not afford a car, which is true. Me and my family are poor. I worked as a bus boy in a family owned Mexican restaurant to make a few bucks to help pay for the rent and things like sports and school activities.

At this point, I saw how many American kids have so much handed to them in a silver plate and yet they don't take advantage of it. They lose themselves in drugs, gangs, or simply don't give a shit about anything. School, work, friends, family. I could not believe this and it made me really fucking angry at how unfair life was. Then I realized how privileged X's life was. He is the typical white boy from Orange County who thinks that life and the world is perfect. Still, he is my best friend, the closest thing i had to a brother.

When we finally graduated HS, I learned about the dream act and decided to attend Community College in hopes to save money and wait its for passage while at the same time advocating for it in my republican-conservative community.

As school went on, I saw that X was not even trying and was unsatisfied with his life. X told me that he was going to join the military and this is when it hit me that I have to tell X I am undocumented, illegal, and all this bullshit. I feared that he might say fuck off you criminal. If he never came back, or I somehow got deported he had to know the truth about me.

It was really embarrassing holding this conversation and I, shamefully, admit got emotional. Lol it sounds gay but I did. I never felt so embarrassed in my life. Then he reacted like the brother I thought he was. He said that "it's cool man. you are still my number one amigo."

X will be home for Christmas and he is getting married in early January before he leaves again to finish boot camp. He made me his best man and I feel like we are indeed brothers. By the way, we are both 22.

I guess what I am trying to say with that long ass story is that you already know how they are going to react. You're about to turn 17 and you've known them since you were 4. That's a long time dude. Like I said, I don't know you or your relationship with them. Like if there is same drama or something weird like that. Only you, in this forum, know them.

But you state that "These guys are always there for me we hang out everyday heck we made a bboy crew" then I don't i think there is anything weird like drama and or shit like that. I strongly recommend you that you tell them who you are, and believe me, it will make you feel 10X better. It'll give you hope and strength.

And DreamerSD23, stop scaring him/her with comments like "Keep it to yourself, telling others will only cause more problems for yourself and your family" and "You can't make judgment calls when you and your family lives are at stake"

Maybe you live in Arizona, or a state like that, and that's why you're all paranoiac but it sounds like this person is really close to his/her friends. I don't know how the police and immigration work in those states now but here in CA is not like you can call the cops or immigration and be all like, "Oh hey guys know some illegals and where they live. go get em." Call your local USCIS office and get your facts straight.

Tell your friends. You'll be happier.

if they are hispanic tell them, when it come up or they ask you
if they are white ask if they republican or democrat before :0

Btw guys my friends are: 1 is guatemalen 1 is mexican 2 are asian 1 is filipino/black and 1 is mexican/hondurian.