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Anel Galvez

Professor Holly Batty

English 28

13 December 2018

The Value of Family and the Broken Immigration Systems

Although many people believe, when undocumented parents are being deported they should

take their naturalized children with them. Not leaving them behind. Naturalized children belong

in the United States with their parents and for this reason immigration laws need to make

changes. I argue that the reckless immigration laws need to change, because of this families are

being separated by the immigration laws, children demonstrate numerous emotional and

behavioral problems, and in some cases children emigrant to the unknown poor home country of

their parents. United States lawmakers do not care of what is happening with the families that are

living through this torment everyday.

Opposing claim states,We should not be surprised when those who disrespect our

immigration laws do not respect our other laws, either. Illegal aliens are criminals they present

high crime rates, alcohol, and drugs problems, and they continuing to break the law. In addition

“Children of illegal aliens are aliens themselves and worthy of deportation” (Nagle). The simple

truth is they place the United States in a unstable danger and they should not be here. I agree

with opposing claim states to a certain point, certainly if they break the law, he or she should

suffer the consequences but ”It does not give them the right to dehumanized and demonized

making them not worthy of who they are” (Nazario). A family that works two or three jobs,
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raising their citizen children and contributes to America's success are worthy people to have in

our country.

Families are being separated and placed in in different detention facilities. Feeling scared,

abounded, and asking themselves the same question, will I ever see my parents/children again?

Parents are having to make the decision of leaving the children in custody of the United States or

with a relatives. “The children can spend years in foster homes, and some are put up for adoption

after termination of their parents custody rights” (Valbrun). These children don’t need to be

separated or placed anywhere else but only with their parents in their homes. Many parents don’t

speak or read english to understand the paperwork that’s been given to them and the officers

pressure them to sign not knowing that they are terminating their rights as their parents.

According to the law, children can not be placed with a illegal relative, because they can be

arrested and deported at anytime, because of this reason children end up in foster care.“The

attorney suggest grant power of attorney in advanced to someone who can take custody of your

children.” (Valbrun). Parents need to make sure who they grant power of attorney so there

children are safe. Also parents need to have a family plan and explain to their children in detail

what does it mean to be illegal and what might happen if they get deported. In addition you will

need to gather birth certificate, passport, money, and credit cards in a safe place. Have

representation forms for family or friends you can trust to take care of your property and

possessions. Documents and paperwork need to be signed ready for any emergency. I believe no

parent should be forced to make agonizing decisions to separate them from their children.

Following deportation of a family member, children demonstrate numerous emotional and

behavioral problems, such as trouble eating, sleeping, anxiety, sadness, anger, recurring
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nightmares, withdrawal, and crying unconditional. Increasing risk of family separation can have

a long lasting impact on children and lead to psychological trauma among other potential mental

health problems. One of them is post-traumatic stress disorder is toxic stress consist of exposure

to high stress levels and can disrupt the developmental of the brain and impact on the body’s

ability to fight diseases. Their parents are no longer existing to give them love, support, and care

when they needed the most. Children are going through so much mentally and physically that

they are absent from school, failing classes, dropping their intelligence quotient, and eventually

having no choice but to dropout of school. In addition some feel hopeless, pain and abandonment

they struggle with these moments and don’t have anybody to talk to or share their feelings so

they get lost in the dark world of drugs and alcohol abuse. These children will suffer the trauma

they experienced for the rest of their lives. The government should be paying for the trauma that

these children go through. They did the harm, they should be responsible for fixing the damage

they created to these innocent souls and their parents.

In some cases naturalized children emigrant to the unknown poor home country of their

undocumented parents. Children say their parents are happy to see their loved ones, visit their

friends and eat food from their mothers kitchen. However the children are not happy leaving

behind what they already are accustomed to in the United States, for instance their school, going

to the mall, movie theater, fast food joints, and most important their friends. In some home

countries it is not safe place to live in particularly El Salvador, because of violent crimes, drugs,

trafficking, armed robbery, rape, and murder is all common gang related. Furthermore children

are struggling with culture shock, adapting to a country they did not know nothing about,

language they don’t speak, climate change and difference in food which can make them sick to
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their stomach. For some parents they just prefer to take their children with them, so they can be

raised and nurtured from their own blood. Parents state that when they become of age they can

make a choice to stay in the parents homeland or move back to the United States.

The broken immigration system of the country is separating children from their parents.

Families belong together where they set their roots in the United States. Opposing claim states

“Operation Wetback” charged the Immigration and Naturalized Service with deporting a million

illegal aliens: men, woman, and American-born miner children. They did it then, they can do it

again”(Nagle). Immigration reforms needs to rethink this assumption because we need to find a

way to bring divided families together again and stay together where they belong, in the United

States.
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Works Cited

Nagle, Chet. "Children of Undocumented Immigrants Should Be Deported." ​The Children of

Undocumented Immigrants​, edited by David Haugen and Susan Musser, Greenhaven

Press,2013. At Issue. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010874210/OVIC?u=lavc_main&sid=OVIC&xid

=97cbef04. Accessed 18 Oct. 2018. Originally published as "Deport the Children of

Illegal Immigrants," ​The Daily Caller,​ 5 Aug. 2010

Nazario, Sonia. ​Enrique’s Journey​. New York : Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2014, c2006.,

2014. ​EBSCOhost,​

library.lavc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat01

148a&AN=lavc.u544136&site=eds-live​.

Valbrun, Marjorie. "Children of Illegal Immigrants Struggle When Parents Are Deported." ​The

Children of Undocumented Immigrants,​ edited by David Haugen and Susan Musser,

Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010874212/OVIC?u=lavc_main&sid=OVIC&xid

=1f5f2857 Accessed 16 Oct. 2018. Originally published as "Foster Care, Uncertain

Futures Loom for Thousands of Immigrant Children," ​America's Wire,​ 25 Jan. 2012.