Soza Family - property of Tiffany Savinon
As a human being and reporter my duty is to inform about the stories that impact and affect our society. Four months ago during the summer term at FIU I was assigned to write a story.
Marisela Soza walked her daughter Cecia, 13, to the bus stop two blocks from their Pompano home every morning. On Dec. 17, 2008 she was ambushed by immigration agents.
According to Ronald Soza, Ms. Soza’s husband, the immigration agents walked into their home uninvited and began to ask Ms. Soza for documents.
“I ran to my room and kneeled,” he said. ”I closed my eyes and began to pray.”
Mr. Soza said their son Ronald Jr. 9, was in the shower when his wife walked in to tell him she had to go because immigration agents were there to take her away.
“I was crying I did not know what was happening. I was really scared and my mother told me I should not be afraid, that everything was going to be alright,” said the boy.
The children went on a three day hunger strike to attract attention from the media.
“I have seen on TV that many people go on hunger strikes to get attention and solve problems, so I told my brother that we had to do that for our mother,” said Cecia.
On Jan. 28, after spending 40 days detained, Marisela Soza was deported to Nicaragua.
Three months later immigration agents appeared at the Soza residence again looking for Ronald Soza. He managed to escape.
“I was able to get away through the rear window of the house, and at that moment I tell you that the hand of God was moving because it began to pour, a storm, such a storm that I could not even see the palms of my hands,” he said. “I ran and hid for about fifteen minutes until the rain began to cease, then I called some friends to give me a lift.”
He’s been on the run ever since going from one house to the next. The place the family called home located at 1431 NE 42nd Street is abandoned. They are not able to live there because Mr. Soza fears getting caught and deported.
The Nicaraguan couple arrived in Pompano Beach in 1995 seeking new opportunities.
“With hard work and perseverance we began to live the “American Dream”, and in 2005 we started a successful home remodeling business. We pay taxes like all Americans,” said Soza.
Mr. Soza said they did not intend to stay in the United States, but one thing led to another and they adapted their lives to the new system.
“This is a nice country and I like it. I work hard,” he said. “The kids have a better opportunity.”
Soza Family - property of Tiffany Savinon
Nora Sandigo, executive director and founder of the American Fraternity, Inc, a non-profit organization that serves the local and national community of immigrants in the U.S. said the children of undocumented families are greatly affected by this tragedy and their lives are put at stake.
In Miami-Dade, there are 400 registered cases of children whose parents are undocumented aliens, and the numbers keep rising.
Sandigo is the legal guardian of over 600 children nationwide including the Soza children. Her calling is to protect them and serve as an advocate for their rights as Citizens of the United States. She is devoted to the children’s welfare supporting their cause and pushing for changes in the law.
Nora Sandigo - property of Tiffany Savinon
“The children’s rights are violated, there is no relief for them because the Congress took their rights away,” said Sandigo. “The children are deprived from living in a normal and healthy environment when their families are torn apart.”
Sandigo said most of the children are left behind either with family members or close friends. In extreme cases, when both parents are deported and there is no one to care for them, there are local families that volunteer and become legal guardians.
“The task of the caretakers is a difficult one,” she said. “We try to fill the emptiness these kids are left with, but how can anyone fill that void and substitute a father or mother?”
According to Sandigo the children become psychologically disturbed.
“Life for the children is unbearable,” she said. “They become paranoid and stressed. Not to mention the trauma inflicted into their young lives.”
On April 13 Sandigo filed a class action to stop deportation of undocumented alien parents without first giving the children a fair opportunity to obtain a remedy for their hardship and redress for the violation of their civil rights.
According to Dr. Alfonso E. Oviedo-Reyes, legal representative for Nora Sandigo and the children, before April 1, 1997 the undocumented alien parents under deportation proceedings could achieve permanent residence through the suspension of deportation legal benefit if they met three criteria: If they (1) were continuously present in the U.S. for a minimum of seven years, (2) were persons of good moral character and (3) their deportation would result in “extreme hardship” on themselves, spouses and children who were U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Under the new immigration law signed by President Bill Clinton, suspension of deportation is more difficult to obtain. The standard of hardship went from “extreme” hardship to “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship”.
“Inadvertently they took the civil rights of the children,” Dr. Oviedo said. “Once the civil right is given to a U.S. Citizen, because of the fundamental right it can’t be taken away, not even by Congress.”
According to Temple Black, public affairs acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the children’s welfare is a priority.
“When undocumented parents are about to be detained they are asked numerous times if there is someone that can take care of the children. Agencies like the Department of Children and Families are also involved to ensure the children are not unattended,” Black said, adding that the parents are responsible for their children.
“For parents who are ordered removed, it is their decision whether or not to relocate their children with them,” Black said.
Ronald Soza said he lives in constant fear looking over his shoulder.
“I’m not a terrorist, an assassin, I don’t steal nothing, I don’t do drugs,” he said. “My family was disintegrated.”
