A mother, a sick child, and an impossible choice.
Wednesday, March 7, 2025
What happened? I can’t stop thinking about the story of Yoselin. She’s 11 years old and a U.S. citizen. She has a rare disease that, if left untreated, will lead to death within months. She has a strict treatment plan, including a very specific diet and blood draws. Her mom, América, is her sole caregiver. Why are we talking about this in Neighbor Notes? Her mom is undocumented and has been issued deportation orders.1 Yoselin is a citizen, so she can legally stay, but would have no one to take care of her, let alone someone who knows the intricacies of her medical needs. It was hard to access the treatment she needed here in the U.S., and would be significantly harder (maybe impossible) in Mexico, where her mother is ordered to be returned.2 They also just want to be together. As a mom, that is deeply understandable to me. Yoselin said, “I want my mom to stay here so she can take care of me.”Now that the administration is targeting all undocumented people for removal, not just those with criminal records, América has been ordered to leave. Every kid’s story is unique, and Yoselin’s medical needs are rare and specific to her, but she’s one of five million American citizen kids who have at least one undocumented parent.
How can I pray? Pray that Yoselin and América experience the peace of Christ that passes understanding. Pray for América’s lawyers and the judges and ICE agents who are all interacting with her. Pray for Yoselin’s doctors, that they will continue to support this family well. Pray for all kids who have a parent who is undocumented and are facing potential separation.
What is one more thing I can do? Email your representatives today! World Relief has a great tool asking leaders to oppose deportation policies that will separate families. If you, like me, have already used this tool before and can’t send an email with it again, copy and paste the message, make it your own, and send it to your member of Congress and two Senators by going to their individual websites!
Previously, América had been granted a stay of deportation, which means the government was choosing not to enforce any removal orders against her. She is also in the middle of a labor trafficking lawsuit. She originally came to the U.S. legally on an H2-B visa to work on a farm. She claims that her employer took her passport away, and also didn’t apply to renew her visa as they were supposed to, which caused her to become undocumented. Those legal processes are still pending.
This isn’t just a guess for América. She has already had two of her children die from this condition while she still lived in Mexico.