Last night, the president announced that he was taking executive action to shield some 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation for the next 3 years. He did not offer a path to citizenship for any segment of the population, but predictably, cries of amnesty rang out across the internet. But a midst the cries of “Unconstitutional!” and “Sue!” and “This will further divide the political parties!” and even, “He didn’t do enough!” we must remember the cries of the young man able to see his parents for the first time in decades; the cries of the mother who can take a breath of relief that for a while, at least, she can move freely without the fear of separation from her baby; and yes, the cries of the father who still does not qualify because while his children grew up here, they were not born here. And if you are brave enough, imagine your own cries if you were desperate to give your children a better life, but it could happen only at the risk that you might be taken away from them. The cries are real, because this action affects real, living breathing people living real lives. I’m posting this again to remind us of that reality.
I Married an Undocumented Immigrant
By ecoggs | Posted July 9, 2014 | United States
CNN PRODUCER NOTE ecoggs was inspired to share her story with CNN after reading another iReporter’s personal essay about being undocumented.
When she was nine months pregnant, her husband was arrested and jailed in August 2011 for not paying a ticket for driving without a license, she said. As she panicked and drove to bail him out, she realized this is probably something a lot of mixed-status immigrant families go through.
“What happened to us has given me a small taste of the fear that undocumented families live with every day.”
Read My Story
Mercy in the Madness 
My daughter has a young friend in your husband’s shoes. I am shocked and appalled that I never saw the immigration issue from the undocumented’s perspective before. My heart breaks for those who live with the continuous fear of deportation.
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Do you have any words of wisdom or encouragement for a young couple in what used to be your shoes? This young man has been here for 16 years, arriving when he was just nine years old. He graduated high school in the US and has a bachelor’s degree from a community college. They want to get married and his Mex passport is valid until sometime this year. He is undocumented.
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I would encourage them to see an immigration lawyer – it is expensive but the long term benefits outweigh the costs. She should file a 601-Waiver, which will not give him a path to legal residency, but it will protect him from deportation. It sounds like he would have qualified for DACA, but that is now blocked by the federal courts; however, I truly believe that there will be a path to citizenship some day in the not-too-distant future, especially for people like him, so I would encourage them to remain hopeful! They should develop a relationship with an attorney for when the time comes (find one who will do a free consultation now and who friends have had success with), and prepare as much as they can financially and emotionally for the challenges ahead! If they are prepared to face obstacles and willing to do that together, I think there is a lot of hope and they can have a wonderful marriage! Best of luck, and I will keep your family in my prayers! If you would like to talk more specifically, feel free to get in touch with me via email at mercyinthemadness@gmail.com.
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Thank you.
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