Hi, my name is Lucia, and I’m sharing our story on behalf of my family during the most difficult year of our lives. We are a close-knit family who has always worked hard, loved deeply, and leaned on each other through everything, but nothing could have prepared us for what we are facing now.
A year ago, my dad suffered a devastating workplace accident that shattered his hip and wrist, requiring multiple surgeries and months of physical therapy, and he still hasn’t fully recovered. The accident happened right after Christmas, a time when my parents had already stretched themselves thin to make the holidays special for their kids. The financial impact was immediate and overwhelming.
During this time, we learned that my dad’s immigration status no longer protected him from being detained and taken from our family. As a Cuban immigrant, his future if detained was terrifyingly uncertain. We hired an attorney and learned he qualified for a T visa due to being taken advantage of by employers because of his status. Despite having lived in the U.S. for 32 years, with US citizen wife and four children who depend on him, none of that guaranteed his safety. Still, my parents invested everything they had into this process, hoping for a chance for him to stay with his family.
Because of the uncertainty, my husband and I rushed our wedding so my dad could be there. It’s every little girls dream to have their dad there to walk them down the aisle on their big day, to have him dance with her one last time before he hands her off to the new man in her life. While we’re grateful for the family that helped make it happen and that he was able to be there for me, the circumstances were heartbreaking and weighed heavily on us that day.
Soon after, the fear intensified. To buy time and temporary safety, my family relocated to Las Vegas so his attorney could file the T visa and seek a fair hearing. After six months, the case began moving unusually fast, raising serious concerns that he could be detained. Fearing for his life, our family made the incredibly painful decision for my dad to self-deport and seek asylum in Mexico.
He recently crossed the southern border, and we have had very limited contact with him since. At the same time, we are trying to get my mom and sisters back to North Carolina. My cousin, whom my parents have raised since he was a toddler, is autistic and lives in a group home in Virginia due to needing constant supervision. With everything happening, my mom cannot safely care for him alone while also supporting my sisters and trying to work.
My mom is now starting over as a single parent, and my dad is starting over in a country he has never lived in. We are not the kind of people who ask for help unless it is absolutely necessary, but right now we truly need it. Any support, shares, or donations mean more than we can express. Thank you so much for reading our story and for any help you’re able to give.