Hi John, I’m Jesse and I’m on the Detention Project team at the National Immigrant Justice Center. With the holidays upon us, I’m really looking forward to spending time with my family, as you also may be around this time of year. For many of my clients, they’ll be with their families this holiday season for the first time in a long time, even years. One of my clients, Fernando, was in immigration jail for a year and he said, “The hardest thing was the separation, something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. My son has autism, and when I would talk to him on the phone, he’d ask where I was and I’d say, ‘I’m working, son,’ and he’d ask ‘when will you be back?’ ‘Almost, almost.’” Being separated from his family broke Fernando’s heart. My colleague and I fought for Fernando’s release just in time for Christmas last year, and we also helped him and his family secure a more permanent form of status. Fernando still struggles with the stress and trauma of being detained, and has not been able to put the experience behind him yet. But Fernando’s more permanent status means security and stability for his family. And more than anything, he and his family are overjoyed to be together again, especially to spend special times like the holidays together. I want to thank you for supporting the National Immigrant Justice Center, because your support powers our work and allows people like Fernando and so many others to reunite with their families and begin to heal from the injustices they have experienced. On behalf of all of us at NIJC, I wish you and your loved ones a happy and peaceful holiday. Warmly,
Jesse Johnson
National Immigrant Justice Center
P.S. Fernando told his story on NIJC’s blog a few months ago. If you’d like to know more about his story and see a picture of his family, you can find it here: https://www.immigrantjustice.org/staff/blog/fernandos-long-journey-back-home |