Abraham Almanza: 15-year old U.S. Citizen grapples with father’s deportation
It was February or March of 2007 in Utah when it all started. There was a knock at the door and I responded. Upon opening the door, I noticed three gentlemen present and they were looking for Jose, a person who did not live in my home. They asked for my father’s name and I gave it to them. I was alone and underage, so they eventually left. A week later around 3pm, they came again and this time my mother was present. She opened the door and they asked her to step outside. They briefly spoke with her and then came inside the house to look for my dad. My dad was at work. They told my mother that my father needed to leave the country because he was living in the United States illegally. Soon thereafter, they left the house, but they took with them the good spirits, leaving a dark cloud that eventually split our family.
After the immigration officials left, my mother called my father at work. He did not come home that night and stayed with an uncle instead. Eventually the entire family moved, but it did not feel right. Three weeks later, my father turned himself in because he did not want to be a fugitive. He was detained for about a month and was then deported to Mexico. We are not sure how my father was targeted; he has always been a hardworking person and has never been in trouble with the law. Perhaps it was the lousy paper work that was done when one of my uncles in California applied for my dad’s legal residence. That process was never completed.
Regardless of how this happened, after my dad was deported, the family was severely hurt. I eventually stopped going to school, even though I was only 11 years old. My mother, also undocumented, now had to take care of the family alone, which included my 7 year old sister, 4 year old brother and baby Anthony. We are all U.S. citizens. Three months after the ordeal started, we moved to California to be with an uncle. But life was not the same, so about 3 months later my brother Anthony and I traveled to Mexico along with three of our cousins. I was reunited with my father. A month later, the rest of the family traveled to Mexico to have the entire family together under one roof.
I lived in Mexico since 2007, but I recently came back to study in the U.S. I am now 15 years old and I am looking forward to starting high school in Boise. I enjoy working with computers and playing soccer. I live with my cousins, aunt and uncle, all of whom are supportive and want me to get an education. I could not continue school in Mexico, for in order to attend high school you have to pay tuition, something my parents could not afford. Additionally, I had to take the public transportation system to school, which meant paying for my transportation daily. With little work and savings for my parents back in Mexico, it made sense in the long-run for me to study in the U.S.
I’ve been living without my family for a few months now. It’s very uncomfortable not being able to see them or my siblings. I’ve lived with them all my life and family is irreplaceable. My younger brother Anthony is my best friend, but now he is thousands of miles away. My cousin and I recently called my mother to see how things are going back in Mexico; she was honest and explained that my siblings have gone into a small depression. They stopped eating for a while and would always ask about me and when I would return. I miss them as well. However, what gives me hope is that when I turn twenty-one I will be able to petition for my parents to return to the U.S. The process may take a long time, but I am willing to do whatever I can to help my family come back to the U.S. My parents own a home in Idaho and we would like to live there again.
For now, I concentrate my time on school and every now and then I think about the immigration raid, how it was wrong and unfair. My dad, like many other immigrants, was only trying to provide a good future for his family. If I could deliver one message to the President, I would tell him to move forward with immigration reform. He should realize the pain and suffering taking place as his administration continues to split families apart. My family should be together.
