USA Today Cover Story-Children caught in the immigration... - Page 10

Look in my WMIs thread for a citation for that from a RAND report.

and more.

This story is about Fiorella Maza. This is my sister of 19 year old. The reason I state her age is because she arrived to the United States at 2 years old. So if you can imagine being in South America and speaking mediocre spanish then you know where she stands.

email her at [email protected]

Let her know she is not the only one.

Can she still somehow benefit from this legislation? We're all fighting really hard for it.

I cant even explain or expressed how you vanish from this entire situation once you leave the country. At this point we get no support or even an answer from anybody in the United States. Once this passes it will help her situation as well as mine but its a long and expensive process involvong interviews, lawyers, and paperwork.

I don't think there is anything that could help her under the current act, and now that you mention it, that is something we should try to change. I'm very sorry for what happened to your sister, rcr. I think that, for her and for many others who have already been deported or who might be before Dream is passed, we should try to get Reid and Durbin and co. to add something to the bill that would remove the punishments for unlawful presence and deportation that are placed on people who would otherwise qualify for the Dream Act. No ten year ban, no deportation on their record, etc. That way, people like Fiorella could apply to return to the U.S. legally, like on a student visa or something.

Its not even about that on my part anymore because there is so much I can do at this point. I intend to continue growing in life and go somewhere where I can fulfill my own dreams whether its in the states or not. However, I dont wish the things that happen to me and my family on anybody. I woke up at 6am to go to work and by 11pm the same day I was in Peru with nothing more than the clothe on my back, wallet, and very old clothe because I didnt even pack for myself. Not to mention all the people that I left without anymore of a goodbye than a text message.

Wow you are in peru now?? damn why didn't they let you guys voluntarily leave?

i think you and your sister should have been given a stay of deportation.

Is there anything we can do for you guys?

I really appreciate the thought. Wish there was more people that understood what it meant to lose everything for doing nothing. The most frustrating thing is that we were legal on asylum status until 2003.

Also, my family paid the plane ticket to leave the states on top of everything. extremely frustrating

Important thing is to prevent this same thing from happening over and over though. I have personally found over 5 people that are in this situation living in this country now desperate for an answer. Falling in and out of depression because they are truly genuine people that know they dont deserve this. All of them educated, one of them even has a masters in Engineering. There all between 15 to 27 years old by the way. I heard it myself when ICE stated that they deport families because they are the easiest to remove compared to true fugitives.

Pass the word...