| By Estefania Gonzalez. Immigration has always been an important part of human history, shaping cultures, economies, and societies across the globe. Immigrants bring a wealth of diverse experiences, skills, and perspectives, often contributing to the nest of their new communities. Yet, the journey of an immigrant is often fraught with challenges—legal, social, and emotional. This requires continued resilience and determination. The complex realities faced by immigrants today, explore both the obstacles they encounter and their deep impact on the country today. Trump’s proposed immigration policies, including the expansion of deportation efforts, have raised concerns for many illegal immigrants, who already face significant hardships. By understanding their stories, we gain insight into the immigrant experience and the different forces that drive migration and shape our country. Jany, a 48-year-old woman came to this country over 21 years ago for a better life. Jany’s story gives insight into the struggle of being an immigrant. Jany shared that she came to this country for a better life for herself and her two children. Her experience being here has been good because her kids have made a family of their own. Jany has been working in retail. She spoke about the struggles of the various opportunities to work whether or not they have legal status. She explained her feelings of being undocumented and losing a lot of opportunities such as not being able to work for the government or only being able to get paid the minimum, which contributes to the fact that she won’t be able to get a better job to support a better life. Without the opportunity to have a better job with better wages, Jany at a disadvantage cannot buy luxuries such as a house. Jany is originally from Nicaragua, the issue she faces about obtaining her legal status is that she must go to her country for help. Nicaragua is run under a dictatorship, so it is a very low possibility for Jany to receive her legal status. Jany voiced her concerns about the new policies being spoken about when Trump returns to the presidency. Trump has stated he wants to send people back who are undocumented, whether they have legal status or not. She disagrees with Trump in that she feels that taking citizenship away from kids who are born here just because the parents are undocumented is unfair. She thinks about her own situation because she herself has a daughter who is 13 years old and doesn’t want her to go through that emotional distress. Her youngest daughter said she already is scared for her future here. Jany understands Trump’s point of view, but she also takes her point of view into account. She doesn’t like that he wants to send everybody back and it takes away the people who did have a purpose to come to the country and work. The article “Trump’s Threats of Mass Deportations lead to Hard Discussions for Families” by Jasmine Garsd speaks about stories others have shared. Garsd spoke about the various hardships families would face following deportation. She highlights safety nets families put in place just in case something does go wrong. From selling simple jewelry to having cash handy, and how to go to a church to receive help, is something these families must teach their young children. Each family has their own idea, their own “game plan” that will lead them to safety in a country they call home. Many immigrants, particularly those who have lived in the U.S. for years, have deep ties to their communities, and the prospect of deportation would not only disrupt their lives but also tear apart families and support networks. The uncertainty surrounding these policies has created a climate of anxiety, with many fearing that they may be torn from their homes and sent to countries they barely know. These are just a few of many stories about people who came to this country in good faith to do better. The newcomer era made it too easy for people, and people took advantage of the system. Leaving the people who did come for solid reasons with nothing and put in a negative light. The idea of immigration has become such a negative connotation when in reality this country is built by the hands of immigrants. There must be a change to this system to better support the immigrant community. We want people to be able to have the opportunity to create a better life for themselves. |
