Divided by Law
On October 13, 2009, my mother was torn apart from our family and barred from reentering the United States for 10 years due to her immigration status.
My Family’s Story
In 2009, my mother, Gloria Arellano De La Rosa, applied for a green card. She was married to a U.S. citizen, had four children born in Arizona, and went through the appropriate legal channels. However, our family circumstances didn’t matter. Due to a 1996 immigration law, my mom was torn apart from my family and barred from returning to the U.S. for 10 years because of her immigration status.
I was fifteen years old at the time. My sister Naomi was nine, and Bobby, our little brother, four. Because our mom was the family’s main breadwinner, Jim, our oldest brother, enlisted in the U.S. Marines to support our family financially. Then, in 2011, our father suffered a devastating stroke. As the second oldest, I became my dad’s caregiver, as well as a parent to Naomi and Bobby.
So much has changed since 2009. Jim was honorably discharged from the Marines to care for our father. Naomi became in charge of the household and graduated from the University of Arizona. And Bobby is on the verge of finishing high school. Due to their sacrifices, I was able to pursue higher education. Our dad died after sustaining a second stroke in 2018. Our mom remains in Mexico. We remain divided by law.
The photographs above are from an award-winning series documented by Arizona Public Media and the Arizona Daily Star titled, “Divided by Law.” In this story, reporters Perla Trevizo, Fernanda Echavarri, and photographer Mike Christy followed my family over four months to capture the challenges my siblings and I faced after my mother was banned from the U.S.
The unfortunate reality is that my family’s story is not unique; it is a feature of U.S. immigration law. The Center for American Progress estimates nearly 6 million U.S. citizen children live with at least one family member who is undocumented.
Due to the lack of stability in their homes, research reveals children who grow up in mixed-status families experience toxic stress, anxiety, depression, and economic hardship. American children, our country’s future, will continue to suffer until we put politics aside and protect immigrant families.
Families belong together
Please visit the following links to learn more about my family’s story:
2020
“Tucson’s de la Rosa Family is focus of free movie screening,” Arizona Daily Star, January 11, 2020.
2018
“The 30 Days,” NPR Latino USA, October 12, 2018.
“30 Days to be a family,” Arizona Daily Star, October 12, 2018.
“Neto’s Tucson: An urgent plea that shouldn’t have been needed,” Arizona Daily Star, August 26, 2018.
“US Government Has Changed of Heart, Allows Mexican Woman to Bid Farewell to Dying Husband,” NPR Latino USA, August 24, 2018.
“In about-face, US lets Mexican woman visit dying husband in Tucson,” Arizona Daily Star, August 25, 2018.
“Feds allow Mexican woman to visit dying husband in Tucson,” Arizona Daily Star, August 24, 2018.
“Congressman urges feds to let Mexican woman visit dying husband in Tucson,” Arizona Daily Star, August 24, 2018.
“Feds reject Mexican woman’s bid to visit her dying husband in Tucson,” Arizona Daily Star, August 22, 2018.
“Woman’s Request to Say Goodbye to Dying Husband Is Denied by Immigration Officials,” NPR Latino USA, August 22, 2018.
“Tucson siblings – separated from Mom by the border for years – find ways to thrive,” Arizona Daily Star, June 4, 2018.
2017
“American Siblings in a Family Divided by Law,” NPR Latino USA, May 26, 2017.
2016
“The Kids Are Not Alright,” NPR Latino USA, January 15, 2016.
2015
“Divided by Law,” Arizona Daily Star and Arizona Public Media, September 28, 2015.