My Parents Were Deported: Unocumented Immigrant

16.6 million people are estimated in the United States to be in families in which at least one member is an undocumented immigrant and of those 16.6 million people, approximately 9 million live in mixed-status families, which means that their family is composed of at least one US-born child and one undocumented immigrant parent (Roblyer et al. 475-476). In the mixed-status families, many of them live in fear from being separated from their families due to immigration laws in the U.S. that call for the deportation of those that are of undocumented status. In the unfortunate event that a family does get ripped apart from each other, it often has the greatest impact on those that get left behind, as well as, on the American people. More often

With the depression, low self-esteem, and lack of parental figures that come with having family member deported, many children will find themselves caught up in the delinquent lifestyle. In Diane Guerrero's article "My Parents Were Deported," she shares the story of how her cousin turned to a life of crime and is now in jail because she grew up in a family that had a deported family member (488). Guerrero continues by stating "I don't believe her life would have turned out this way if her father and my parents had been here to guide her and support her" (488). Most mixed-status families live in low income neighborhoods that are riddled with negative influences such as gangs, drugs, and alcohol abuse. As Guerrero stated, without family by ones' side to deter them from participating in risky behavior, children of deported family members could find themselves in trouble with the law. Having the citizen born children of undocumented immigrants end up in juvenile facilities because of the deportation of their parents is of no benefit to American society, in fact, it puts an economic burden on the American

In most cases, undocumented immigrants that come to the U.S. do so to make a better life for themselves and their family. But, in order to make a better life for themselves, they must find employment. Yet, what supporters of deportation do not realize is that undocumented immigrants find employment in undesirable jobs that consist of poor work conditions and low pay. Deporting undocumented immigrants who hold employment in the U.S, according to Patler and Golash-Boza, "would reduce the U.S. Gross Domestic Product by $4.7 trillion over 10 years" (5). Gross Domestic Product is "the total value of the goods and services produced by the people of a nation during a year" which show that undocumented immigrants improve American society by working in the U.S. to help produces commodities