ANNOUNCEMENT: United We Dream gathers in Minneapolis

This weekend, 46 DREAM Act student leaders from 15 states and Washington, DC are traveling to Minnesota to reflect on ten years of DREAM Act activism and look forward to the next ten years of fighting for immigrant rights.

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Home » DREAM Act Students

Letter from a deported DREAMer

Dear President Obama,

I watch the news everyday, and I know that you are planning to do immigration reform hopefully this year.

I came to the U.S. when I was 3 years old from the Philippines. I arrived with my mom and my siblings, my little brother was born in California. Though we did not cross the border, we had some unfortunate events with our immigration lawyer who cheated us and ran away disregaurding our immigration case and probably his other clients as well. After that happened, my family had to sacrifice a lot, we were even seperated from each other for years. I lived in California all my life, managed to graduate high school with honors and lived an innocent life in the only place I know as home.

Last year, I was deported back to the Philippines. It was the worst experience I’ve ever encountered. Before I left, I didn’t know what to expect from a place I’ve never been to, didn’t know how to speak the language but all I knew was that I was frightened. When I arrived, I was in total culture shock. A land full of poverty, no hope, still no freedom, and no place I would ever call home. I moved into my grandmas poor, and very old house because all my relatives are already in the U.S. I cried the whole first month I lived here, knowing that coming back home to California was nearly impossible. Its been a year later, and I still feel the same.

I’m writing to you, hoping and wishing that you can find it in your heart to pass the Dream Act.  There are thousands of teenagers and young adults just like me who are innocent and at no fault to the mistakes their parents had made in order for us to have a better life in America. Those illegal who are still in the U.S. don’t deserve to be deported back to their birthplace, like me. I never realized how hard it is to get out of a third world country, especially having a 10 year ban on my shoulder, which I don’t deserve such punishment. The American Dream for citizen born Americans means having to achieve their greatest goals in life. For us, having a normal life to live at our home country with our family and friends and having the chance to be on a path to citizenship is our greatest dream! Most of us graduate at the top of our class but are defferred from the American Dream.

Please give us our first chance to get on the path legalize ourselves so we can come out of the shadows to help out by all means to our home country, the United States of America. And please don’t forget to include me, and the other innocent children who have already been deported, in the Dream Act.. We just want to come back home.
Thank You! And God Bless!

“You can’t separate peace from freedom, because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom”–Malcom X

Sincerely,
Julie Anne Ferrer

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6 Comments »

  • [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by kyledeb and Yesenia Fernandez. Yesenia Fernandez said: RT @DreamAct: New Blog Post: Letter from a deported DREAMer http://bit.ly/yG8ko [...]

  • Tatyana. says:

    Julie,

    There are probably no words to make you feel better. All I could say is that your letter touched on many feelings. Keep on fighting because you deserve other things. Better things. We're all in this together, as a people, as humans, and as DREAMers.

    -Taty.

  • Aurora says:

    I was so happy to read that Alonso Chehade was allowed to stay in the U.S. & now after reading this message my heart turned into the size of a pea. Please Juliea Ann don't let that event stop you from DREAMING of something better, don't let that dissapear your HOPE & SPIRIT. Remember the following: "WHAT DOES NOT KILLS YOU, MAKES YOU STRONGER"

  • Erick says:

    Is Sad cause i can put my self in his shoes, i been living here for over 21yrs, brought as a kid to the best country in the world, i live my life as an average american but sadly im not an american since i came here illegally from mexico as a 3yr old boy but times are hard and everytime i find a door it gets shut again but like aurora said. "WHAT DOES NOT KILLS YOU, MAKES YOU STRONGER" so i cant quit giving up…

  • Simon Liang says:

    It is a very good news about Alonso Chehade finally are allowed to stay in America. I hope all kids whose status just like Chehade stay in this country for develope the tomorrow's new great and strong America. America really need young people who got well education in America.

  • major regret says:

    All I have to say is don't apply for any immigration benefits until you're SURE you will receive them. It's better to be under the radar and left alone (especially with possible reform coming), than to try to apply for something, bringing yourself to the attention of USCIS and then being at risk for removal. This is a grave mistake my husband and I just made. I know things are tough and unfair 100%, but it's seriously way better to be here struggling than to face being deported.

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