A Teen’s Story of Family Detention
By Alejandra Romo
What should have been a day of celebration for Jesse (not his real name) became a nightmare. On the day of his 19th birthday, this young man was given a joyless surprise. His parents were missing.
Jesse was left with heartache and a lot of questions. At the time his parents were out of the state in Louisiana. They are pastors who, from time to time, would go to preach in other states.. For days, neither Jesse nor his older brother knew where they were, what had happened, or if they were safe. They went on to find out that they both had been taken by immigration enforcement while on their trip. The siblings’ parents, who were always there for them and who, as pastors, had dedicated their lives to supporting others, suddenly disappeared into the immigration system.
Jesse’s regular life as a teenager was no more. His focus shifted from being a full time student to working, so as to be able to pay bills in his parent’s absence. While his brother was contributing financially to their household at first, , additional hardship soon fell on the siblings when he got into a bad motorcycle accident which left him with multiple broken bones, and unable to work for the months that followed. Jesse then had even more reasons to worry for his family, stress about their finances, and hopelessly ponder the uncertain future of their parents. He felt as if his world was crumbling around him.
The financial side of this hardship went beyond their home’s expenses. Their parents were moved to Tennessee and transferred into separate facilities, one for men, one for women. Jesse described spending nearly $1,000 each month to communicate with his parents and pay their commissary. Through phone calls they’d check in with each other and talk about their days. His parents described some of the conditions they were living in. They shared that they were kept in large rooms that resembled warehouses. There was no privacy. The beds were very close together to one another and the restroom doors were so short, the person in the stall next to you could see over.
The food provided was inedible, for example, when they were given chicken, it would come very undercooked, appearing to be raw. They weren’t given much in terms of clothing such as underwear. While wearing one pair, they had to hand wash the other in the restroom sink. They emphasized to Jesse how unbearable the cold was. It would be snowing outside and the facility would still have the AC on. There were fights over hoodies because of how cold everyone was. In the facility his mother was staying in, the poor living circumstances led to someone passing away.
Jesse shared,“There were also a lot of people who couldn’t take it anymore and signed their way out who were there for a year, and then there were others my parents met who are still there to this day.”
Part of the reason the conditions are so poor is to encourage people to abandon their cases and self deport. This is where opportunities for bond become very important. They offer individuals a stronger chance to handle their immigration cases while being able to reunite with their loved ones. Getting and communicating with legal counsel becomes easier, as well as gathering evidence, obtaining documents, and preparing for court.
However, a common struggle for the families of individuals offered release on bond is the cost. The amount set by judges is often out of reach for families; this was also Jesse’s case. His parents’ bonds came out to upwards of $17,000. For many, this is where their story pauses, and they continue to live in this purgatory for unbeknownst lengths of time. Jesse was able to connect with CLUE. With gracious donations from the community to the Immigrant Detention Bond Fund, CLUE was able to step in to pay the sum and his parents were able to come home after more than a month apart.
Detention sends shockwaves through entire families. Loved ones are forced to take on financial burdens, learn to navigate complex bureaucracies, and live with the heavy emotional toll laid on them.
Jesse’s story is a powerful reminder that when someone is detained, families are forced to put their lives on hold while they fight to bring their loved ones home. Community support can play an immense role in supporting families going through these experiences, offering a glimpse of hope during a dark time that can feel very lonesome.
“The organization,” he said, “was my only hope and I’m just grateful I found this”