Melinde gave birth to her daughter a short while after her husband was deported. Her husband has never met their 7-month-old daughter. Their story demonstrates how immigrant families pay the price for our broken immigration system, and how badly we need comprehensive reform.
In March of 2012 my husband was arrested at our home. That same day they took him to the Tensas Detention Center in Waterproof, Louisiana.
Immediately after he was taken away my family and friends helped me get a lawyer. My lawyer sent a motion to the court that stated that my husband could NOT be deported for 90 days or until his court hearing. Only two weeks after being detained they sent him back to his country. Disregarding the motion and the fact that I was 6 months pregnant, had no job and nowhere to go.
“My worst fear is that my baby will never know her father.”
While at the airport he asked the two deportation officers that brought him there where he was going… they told him back to his country, but that he could come back in a few days as long as he brought his mother, father, sisters, and brothers so that they could catch them all and lock them up in one cell together and let them sit there for months.
This was a slap in my face. They didn’t know what he was going through. How dare they say that to him? My pregnancy was considered “high risk” and this put a hundred times more stress on me.
Just a few days later I was kicked out of our home in Mississippi and had to move to Florida to live with my sister who took it upon herself to take care of me through my pregnancy. I gave birth to my daughter in July and my husband missed everything. She is almost 7 months now and he has never met her. My worst fear is that my baby will never know her father.
The money that I do make goes to my daughter and my husband. Honduras is a very poor country and it is my job to help him like he helped me. I love him and I will NEVER give up. Yes he came here illegally, but it was for a good reason. ICE deported him while the motion was in effect and that should be considered illegal too!
My husband is not above the law but neither is ICE!!
Thank you for listening.
-Melinde R
Have you or somone you love been affected by our broken immigration system? Please share your story with us today. The more stories we can elevate, the better we raise awareness of the damage our broken system causes, and the stronger our movement will be. Please share your story today!
