Dear President Trump: Don’t Split Up More Families
It’s very common to sit at a restaurant with my mother and my little brother and next to us is a family of six, with both their mother and father. My father was deported when I was very young. I didn’t get the chance to grow up with him, to do all the things that fathers and daughters do. It’s a lonely feeling when you know other girls can look up to their father and you can’t.
Now that you are president and have promised to deport more than 2 million undocumented immigrants, more children in this country might grow up like I did.
Can you imagine what it’s like to have the most important people in your life taken away? You said many of the people you are targeting are criminals. I feel like the people who have criminal records and pay the consequences should be given a second chance because the United States will never be the same without immigrants. Many people make mistakes and it just depends if you learn from them or not. Mexicans and other immigrants are hard workers and wouldn’t want to be taken away from the thing that makes them work hard, their families.
When families are broken apart, children are five times more likely to have mental troubles than families that are together. Deportations of a family member could lead to depression — and this is a sad feeling, trust me, I’ve lived it.
I’ve come to understand that my family will never be complete. I’ve learned that life isn’t fair and that not everyone has the chance to be with their family. But I’ve also learned that you have to make the best of the situation. I hope that one day we will all be treated the same and will unite as one.
Sincerely,
Joana
For this series, student reporters with Intersections South LA partnered with Public Service Community High School at the Diego Rivera Learning Complex in South Los Angeles to hear students’ voices and help produce their letters to President Trump. Read and listen to more of the students’ letters here.
