Dream into reality

Dear Mr. President,

I am 21 years old. My family and I have been in the United States for almost twenty years now and have yet to be granted our citizenship. For years, we have talked with lawyers about our situation and just recently we made a final attempt. This attempt was with my father's sister, my aunt, who is now a U.S Citizen and she petitioned for us to be granted residency. The lawyer on the case told us that it was approved and all but that it could take many years.

This is really frustrating not only for my family but for me. Mr. President I am a very hard working person and am currently attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte majoring in Psychology and minoring in Chemistry. I could not afford to go to the college of my choice because of my legal status, which does not allow me to receive financial aid. My future plans or goals are to go to medical school in a year and a half and become a child psychiatrist, but that dream is going to be very difficult because medical school is so expensive and I know my family does not have that kind of money to pay for it.

I have 2 jobs right now to save up money and am a full-time junior. One of my jobs is as an Applied Behavior Analysis therapist and I enjoy it with all my heart because I get to make a difference in at least one five year old's life. I one day hope to make a difference in many childrens' lives and travel around the world to provide my service where it is mostly needed. This dream is further away each time I realize the immigration situation is becoming an even bigger issue. I know there are a million people in this with hopes of becoming U.S Citizens one day; but as one individual, I am asking you to help me turn my dream into reality.

Mr. President, I know you are a busy man a have so many things to worry about each day, but please take my petition into consideration. My whole family and I have been good law abiding citizens and both my two sisters and I have shown that we are interested having a career in this country that has given us so much and provides us with so many opportunities. All three of us have or are attending a university. You don't realize how thankful I am that my parents came to this country in search of a better future. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter.

Sincerely,

Dulce
Age 21
Statesville, North Carolina

Tearing my family apart

Dear George:

This is one of the most important letters I have ever had to write.

My family and I are going through an extremely painful ordeal. My two young daughters and I are American citizens. My husband, their father, is not, and we have been pointlessly separated throughout an insufferable immigration process for my husband.

We have been married for 10 years and have two beautiful children together. We chose to live in Munich, Germany for these first 10 years of our marriage. I then felt the time was right to move back home to move my family to this great country so that our children would have every doorway of opportunity open to them, just as I had. Now, however, this same great country is tearing my very own family apart.

The immigration process has been one stumbling block after another since it began in August of 2004. In the first phase of the process, we had paperwork returned to us to fill out again, even though the papers were originally properly filled out this was the fault of the immigration official, and I still have these papers to prove it. We wanted to cooperate and resent them anyway, only to have them returned yet again because the date was written incorrectly.

My husband and I then went to Frankfurt together and had we not gone and been adamant about it, we would most likely be stuck in the 1st phase still. Now in the 2nd phase, we are facing the same turmoil, except now it is even worse. Now we are physically separated since I found a job and relocated to St. Louis with our children to keep this job.

He had his final interview on March 17th and was turned away. Immigration forgot to mention to him two more documents he would need to bring with him. This was heartbreaking. I had to explain to our girls that daddy wouldnt be coming soon as expected, and that Easter would have to be celebrated without him. Watching their tears so saddened me. And then I became infuriated at this injustice at this ridiculously cruel heartless game playing. These immigration officials are not just rejecting simple documents; rather they are tearing families apart.

This great country preaches about how important family is. This great country cries out at how high the divorce rate is and how many children are being raised in single-parent families. And yet it is this same great country that is ruining my own family.

I understand homeland security, but this is not a marriage of convenience. This is a marriage of deep friendship and love that is stronger than ever 10 years and two amazing children later.
I realize to you that I may be no one, but I AM someone; someone with a family just like you. We are not faceless or nameless. I need to be heard on this. I need to be able to prove to my children, to my husband, and to myself that this is a great country that cares about its families.

Prove to me that what this country preaches and extols are not simply empty words and help my family fight this corrupt injustice. This is truly a scandal. I don't recall anyone having spoken out on this issue before, but now I am going to. Maybe something will change so that future families don't have to needlessly suffer like mine is doing everyday now. I will do whatever it takes to reunite my family, but I need your help.

Thank you and Warm Regrds,

Vesna
Age 34
St. Louis, Missouri