My name is Lalo Zamudio and I am 12 years old. I am a U.S. Citizen and I live in Worthington, Minnesota.
Last November, my family and I went to the immigration offices with my Mom because she had received her work permit and she was planning to apply for her Residency papers. At the immigration office, my mother was detained and 7 days later she was deported to Mexico. We were so upset, and I was scared because I didn’t know what I could do to help her or what would happen to my little brother and sister.
My mother experienced many bad things in detainment before she was deported. She had very bad headaches and they wouldn’t let her have her prescription migraine pills. My mother was also on her period at that time, but they wouldn’t give her anything to help her clean herself. So she had to rip up the blanket and use the pieces.
Right before my mom was deported, she was roughed-up because she refused to sign the papers that dismissed her rights and stated that she was willingly going back to Mexico.
My mother later told me about the plane ride to Mexico. My mom was chained at her ankles, her knees, her waist, and her wrists. She could barely eat the sandwich that they gave her and when she was trying to eat it, it fell on the floor. Instead of giving it back to her, someone just threw it away.
When my mother arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border, she was made to lie down on the ground and the chains were taken off of her. Then she and other Latino immigrants, were pushed across the border into Mexico with guns pointed at them from the U.S. side.
Our childhoods have changed forever. Every single day we miss our mom- we miss her tucking us in at night, her food, and her hugs. It has been very hard for us to get the medical attention the three of us need because we do not have legal guardians. My aunt and uncle have been doing the best they can to take care of us.
I want to say that it is not fair that human beings are deported and treated like criminals just because they are working for their families. It’s not right that so many thousands of children have their parents taken out of their lives so suddenly and without notice. It’s not right that we then have to grow up without our parents.
President Obama, I want immigration reform this year that respects our families. I want people to have the opportunity to provide a better life for their families and to be able to live without fear of being separated from their families that they have raised here. I want people to be able to live in this country without fear of calling the cops when there are problems. I want immigration reform this year and forever- please help us to make it happen!
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