When you’re a kid every day is a new exciting adventure. Meeting new people, traveling new places, learning new things, and knowing that at the end of the day you had that one spot that was familiar, stable, safe…your home. No matter the imaginary monsters you fought or the trials you faced, your home was place that witnessed you grow from that little kid with the sense adventure and curiosity for the new and unknown into the adult that dreams of a similar spot, a similar place…a home for his future children.
For Tony, his home, the place where he grew up and dreamed his future children would too, was the United States of America. Yet, according to U.S. law, although Tony had spoken his first English words here, attended his first day of school here, and even had his first job here, because he was not born here, he was not a U.S. citizen. This non-citizen status meant that in the purview of the United States government, Tony did not have the legal right to permanently reside in the U.S., but rather needed to return to his “home” country of Mexico, where he was born.
When Tony came to the MICA Project, he was 120 days away from having to leave his home in the U.S. for Mexico, a country he had not lived in since he was three years old. However, there was hope thanks to the Obama Administrations’ 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allowed for a delay of deportation for those like Tony. With the help of the MICA Project, Tony was able to obtain the necessary documents to apply for the DACA program. In December 2014, Tony’s application was accepted and he is able to stay in the United States.
Tony’s bravery in his determination to stay at his home and make that dream for his future children come true is an inspiration and reminder of how lucky we all are to live in this great country. As we celebrate this Independence Day, consider helping the brave find, keep, and make a home here in the United States through a donation today.
For Tony, his home, the place where he grew up and dreamed his future children would too, was the United States of America. Yet, according to U.S. law, although Tony had spoken his first English words here, attended his first day of school here, and even had his first job here, because he was not born here, he was not a U.S. citizen. This non-citizen status meant that in the purview of the United States government, Tony did not have the legal right to permanently reside in the U.S., but rather needed to return to his “home” country of Mexico, where he was born.
When Tony came to the MICA Project, he was 120 days away from having to leave his home in the U.S. for Mexico, a country he had not lived in since he was three years old. However, there was hope thanks to the Obama Administrations’ 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allowed for a delay of deportation for those like Tony. With the help of the MICA Project, Tony was able to obtain the necessary documents to apply for the DACA program. In December 2014, Tony’s application was accepted and he is able to stay in the United States.
Tony’s bravery in his determination to stay at his home and make that dream for his future children come true is an inspiration and reminder of how lucky we all are to live in this great country. As we celebrate this Independence Day, consider helping the brave find, keep, and make a home here in the United States through a donation today.