Come walk with us, the journey is long...

Last week, I traveled to Washington, D.C. with an amazing group of community members from Miami Dade, many of whom are directly impacted by the current broken immigration system.

As we traveled, our newly-formed community shared information about our lives and why we were going to Washington. Juanita, who is Puerto Rican and therefore a Citizen, shared her daily concerns about her undocumented husband. She said she worried every day that he could make a mistake, catch the attention of the police, and be taken away from her. Maria Gabriela, another traveler, is a survivor of domestic violence who is documented but her own experiences have encouraged her to always fight for what is right, including keeping the families in our community together. My own motivation to join the struggle for immigrant rights was heightened while doing relief and recovery work in Postville, Iowa, following an immigration raid that destroyed the community by targeting the migrant workers, rather than the meatpacking plant that was exploiting them.

There were six buses of immigrant advocates from Miami Dade, and forty from the state of Florida. At least 150,000 people from around the country participated in this March for America. Standing in the middle of the crowds outside the White House and on the National Mall took my breath away. I was surrounded by determined people of faith, workers, and activists who were standing together, hoping for a more humane solution to our immigration system. Men and women from around the world, representatives from around the United States, stood together waving American flags and holding signs reading, “I’m a U.S. Citizen. Please reform immigration now so I can keep my Dad”, “We are all (or were) Immigrants”, and “This land belongs to you and me”.

Each of the 150,000 participants, as well as the family members and neighbors who were unable to attend, have a story. We each have motivations and struggles that have led us to where we are today. My hope is that we can join together to learn about one another, and to ensure that everyone has the right to raise their children, to live with their spouses, and to earn decent wages in order to support their families. It was my pleasure to represent SFIWJ at this historic event.