Dear Abdi,
While you are in immigration detention, you may be hearing from others about what is happening to immigrant families and kids who look like you.
I can imagine the fear and anxiety it is causing you.
You probably ask yourself: What did I do wrong to cause all this?
The answer is: nothing.
Please know and believe that what is happening right now in the United States has nothing to do with anything you did. Many, like you, find themselves in government detention because they arrive at our border seeking safety under long-standing U.S. law granting everyone that right.
When I was a little girl, my parents, and eventually myself, fled El Salvador because of a civil war and arrived in the United States looking for safety and a brighter future as a family.
On this Valentine’s Day—an occasion to lift up love, care, and friendship— I want you to know that there are countless people in this country who want all the best for you. These are people who are fighting every day to make sure you’re free and reunited with your family and loved ones, in a caring community; who are invested in keeping you safe for the time you are in detention; and who do this from a place of genuine love and solidarity.
All of us are brilliantly colored, uniquely shaped puzzle pieces that, when laid side by side, contribute to a broader whole. I know it’s frustrating and heartbreaking when it feels like an angry and hateful few try to pick our pieces apart and destroy such a beautiful picture.
YOU are very much a part of this puzzle. You belong here!
For all that you’ve lived through on your journey to the United States, everything you’re dealing with and feeling now, and all that you will continue to do after, your voice and your presence will be one of the most important pieces in the years to come.
We at the Young Center see SO much potential in you. Through our work, we will keep highlighting that, to be your best, you need all the support you can get to grow strong, safe, and free.
You are a special person and a blessing in our world. Every day, we will keep pushing to do better, no matter what happens or how hard things get. Every day, remember that you’re not alone.
With love,
