Can you imagine how you would feel if you were a parent separated from your young child, not knowing where, when or if you might see her again? It’s hard for me to fathom that kind of agony. How would I think about anything else? How would I be able to sleep at night, wondering if my child was safe, fed and healthy?
This is the current reality for thousands of parents who are here in the United States and south of the border, waiting for the moment when they can be reunited with their children who have crossed into this country without them. It must take so much courage to part with one’s children in hopes of giving them opportunity to create a better life.
You may wonder what those parents could possibly be thinking. How could they let their kids make the dangerous trek to the U.S. alone, with no parental protection or guidance? The reasons are, of course, varied. Generally, parents decide on this course of action to help their children avoid: ending up in a gang or being a victim of gang violence; having to resort to prostitution to make ends meet; or living a life of abject poverty and all that comes with such a life, including little access to medical care, malnourishment and poor education. Parents make such a difficult choice because they want to break the poverty cycle that they imagine their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will all be doomed to endure if they do nothing. Love shines in such sacrifice.
When parents have to make the tough choice to immigrate to the United States before or after their children, how do they pursue reunion? Oftentimes, they cannot predict exactly where they or their children will end up after crossing the border.
In the Dallas area, there is something parents can do which may help them find their children. Mosaic Family Services is a non-profit that fights for human rights and helps refugees settle in the United States. In their lobby, they offer fingerprinting services for parents who want to find their children.
Fingerprinting is part of a background check process which helps ensure that children who have surrendered after crossing the border go to safe homes. Parents and relatives can come forward to get fingerprinted as part of the process of claiming their children. Fingerprinting gives parents the chance to make a home with their children once again.
Mosaic is one of 33 sites in the country where this fingerprinting service is offered.
At Margaret A. Donnelly, P.C., our mission is to reunite families. This mission is the heart of our work.
If you or someone you know needs the help of an immigration attorney, please contact us today to schedule your consultation. Let us fight for opportunity and justice for you and your family.