"I'm going to Washington because I have nobody to hug this Father's Day. My dad was deported, and I wish that families would stop having to go through this."
The following is a guest blog post from Jose Flores with Voces de la Frontera.
As families across this nation celebrate Father's Day, our thoughts are with families torn apart from deportation proceedings. An estimated 4.5 million children of undocumented immigrants are U.S. citizens, but live in families where one or more of their parents or guardians are not citizens.
Families are hurting without comprehensive immigration reform. Keep families together by calling your Senator in support of immigration reform at 866-834-8040.
Today I joined the delegation of 8 children traveling from Wisconsin to DC to meet with Senator Ron Johnson, Congressman Paul Ryan and other members of Congress. The children delivered hand-made Father's Day cards to ask Senators to support an immigration reform bill that keeps families together.
Some of the kids explained to the Senator that this Father's Day, they can't be with their dads because their fathers have been deported.
"I'm going to Washington because I have nobody to hug this Father's Day. My dad was deported, and I wish that families would stop having to go through this." - Lizbeth Alvarado, 14 years old from Green Bay, WI.
Wisconsin families are calling on Senator Ron Johnson to support the Senate's bipartisan immigration reform bill, S.744. My name is Jose Flores and I am one of the Wisconsin family members with Voces de la Frontera, Wisconsin's leading immigrant rights group, to take a stand against the unnecessary separation of our families and to demand justice from our elected leaders.
"My dad was taken unjustly when ICE was looking for someone that didn't live in my house, but they still took him; I saw this and it was the worst feeling of my entire life. This needs to change." - Salvador Rojas Jr. (image to the left), 14 years old from Milwaukee, WI.
We're asking all members of Congress to vote based on their American values— for opportunity and family.
"I am going to Washington DC to talk to the Senator because my family is very important to me, all families and important and should stay together and not live with fear." – my daughter, Lesley Flores, 11 years old from Waukesha, WI.
Make a call if you agree that all families are important, should stay together and not live with fear. CALL your Senator at 866-834-8040.