In the Country We Love: My Family Divided

This section addresses current immigration policies, which are particularly harmful to children. Guerrero cites sobering statistics and reminds readers that the children of deportees are at high risk of depression and PTSD. Some end up in foster care, others bounce from one relative or friend to another, and many slip through the cracks, making them targets for traffickers and gangs. Guerrero discusses her experiences with the system: After ICE deported her parents, no government agency checked on her, there was no hotline to call, and she was unaware of her rights as a citizen. She pushes back against harmful stereotypes, noting that undocumented immigrants contribute to the social safety net, stimulate economic growth through their purchasing power, and provide cheap labor in industries shunned by Americans, such as agriculture.

Many undocumented laborers face exploitation and work in deplorable conditions. Detainee abuse is equally rampant in a private prison system designed to profit from society’s most vulnerable. As Guerrero observes, the immigration system is broken and outdated, resulting in unreasonable wait times for those seeking citizenship and legal residency. The cost of mass deportation is astronomical. Border walls do not prevent undocumented immigrants from entering the country, nor do they address the problem of those already living here.