By: Daniel Nardini
Yet another example of the law tearing families asunder. This case is about a 25 year old mother of three named Leslie Hernandez, who currently lives in Detroit, Michigan. Born in Mexico, she was brought over by her parents to the United States at age 11. As you guessed, Leslie Hernandez had no choice—she never asked to be in the United States in the first place. In 2011, she was jailed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a deportation order was issued. What it means is that Hernandez can be deported at any time. Despite this, Leslie Hernandez is fighting her deportation. Her immigration attorney, acting under a new rule that might allow undocumented to stay in the United States if it “proves to be an undue burden on their families,” might give Hernandez a chance to stay. Leslie Hernandez, under other circumstances, would be considered a model resident. She has no criminal record, she has actually been able to get a GED, and she had been working to support her family.
Sadly, the current immigration system does not recognize any of this, and does not recognize the fact Leslie Hernandez never made the choice of being here in the first place. But she has been in this country for 14 years, and she has a family and has put down roots. She and her husband have a house and they had (until Leslie Hernandez was imprisoned by immigration) jobs and were paying for their utilities and taking care of their families as well as paying taxes. In recent days the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has introduced a “new” policy that might allow some undocumented to stay in the country if their forcible deportation causes “substantial harm” to their families. Among the things that might be considered substantial harm are taking mothers away from their children, taking away either spouse which helps to earn money for the family, and chronically ill or disabled children or spouses who are dependent on a family member who is undocumented. Mind you, Leslie Hernandez fits into the category of the mother of three dependent children.
Just as equally tragic is the fact that the families’ father is now in jail on immigration charges. His fate remains unknown, but the chances are just as high he will also be deported. If both mother and father are deported, then what happens to the kids? Will they also be forced to leave for a country they were never born and raised in? Do they even know Spanish, or enough Spanish to live in Mexico? It is pathetic that U.S. President Barack Obama is coming out with a sort of humanitarian policy now in his fourth year during an election campaign. There is no question he is using this “new” policy to try and win Latino votes. He might just succeed. With the chances of Mitt Romney becoming the Republican presidential candidate, many Latinos are beginning to fear that for all of Obama’s shortcomings, Romney will be truly anti-Latino. Meanwhile, Leslie Hernandez and her three children sit at home awaiting their fate.
What is a Mother of Three to Do?
By: Daniel Nardini
Sadly, the current immigration system does not recognize any of this, and does not recognize the fact Leslie Hernandez never made the choice of being here in the first place. But she has been in this country for 14 years, and she has a family and has put down roots. She and her husband have a house and they had (until Leslie Hernandez was imprisoned by immigration) jobs and were paying for their utilities and taking care of their families as well as paying taxes. In recent days the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has introduced a “new” policy that might allow some undocumented to stay in the country if their forcible deportation causes “substantial harm” to their families. Among the things that might be considered substantial harm are taking mothers away from their children, taking away either spouse which helps to earn money for the family, and chronically ill or disabled children or spouses who are dependent on a family member who is undocumented. Mind you, Leslie Hernandez fits into the category of the mother of three dependent children.
Just as equally tragic is the fact that the families’ father is now in jail on immigration charges. His fate remains unknown, but the chances are just as high he will also be deported. If both mother and father are deported, then what happens to the kids? Will they also be forced to leave for a country they were never born and raised in? Do they even know Spanish, or enough Spanish to live in Mexico? It is pathetic that U.S. President Barack Obama is coming out with a sort of humanitarian policy now in his fourth year during an election campaign. There is no question he is using this “new” policy to try and win Latino votes. He might just succeed. With the chances of Mitt Romney becoming the Republican presidential candidate, many Latinos are beginning to fear that for all of Obama’s shortcomings, Romney will be truly anti-Latino. Meanwhile, Leslie Hernandez and her three children sit at home awaiting their fate.