Immigration Raids Leave Children Behind

Operation Return To Sender Severs Generations Of Immigrant Families

(CBS)  Nine-year-old Adeline Munoz packs for her weekly trip from San Diego to Tijuana, Mexico. It’s the only place she can see her parents.

In February, her parents Abel Munoz and Zulma Miranda, who were living in the United States for 18 years on expired visas, were deported by immigration officials.

"My dad, he got handcuffed," Adeline told CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes. "I was so scared, I don't want to sleep."

While they still have an aunt here, the responsibility to keep the household together has fallen on 16-year-old Leslie.

"It's so much on me that sometimes I can't, I can't anymore," she said. "It's just too much

All three of the Munoz children were born in the U.S., so they are legal citizens — even though their parents are not. Since the parents have been gone, all three kids sleep in their room.

"So when I have this picture, I put it under my pillow, I feel like they're here," Adeline said.

"When you see your little sister's heart broken, she's there crying," Leslie said. "And you wish you could bring her parents back, because she wants them back. It's hard."

It's unclear how many children have been left behind in the United States to fend for themselves since Operation Return to Sender. Almost 24,000 people have been arrested for visa violations, sparking protests across the country.

For those deported to Mexico, the United States-Mexico border is the dividing line between family members: the children on one side the parents on the other, both facing an uncertain future.

The Munoz family border reunions are bittersweet.

The parents say they just couldn't bring the children to the slums of Tijuana with no jobs and only sharing a room at Zulma's parents' house.

"I would describe the deportation experience as something inhumane," Zulma said. "The little one always tells me, 'Every time I hear a knock at the door, I think it's immigration. It makes me scared.'"

Critics of illegal immigration concede it's a tough situation — but one the parents themselves created.

"If a U.S. citizen parent commits a crime and is arrested, nobody is out there protesting that this person shouldn't be separated from his kid to go to jail," said Rosemary Jenks of NumbersUSA, an anti-immigration group.

Jenks says part of the problem was past lax enforcement.

"Once we routinely enforce the law, we will face this situation much less because there will be fewer people coming in and putting themselves in this position," Jenks said.

[flatbedbill]

......and this *** that "They're doing jobs American's won't do" is nothing more than liberal, pro-illegal, pro amnesty PROPAGANDA. You pay Americans a decent, liveable wage, and we'll do the work. We've demonstrated that time and again. What we WON'T do is live 20-25 people in a house to afford lifes neccessities. Wages are being suppressed and dropping. I haven't received a cost-of-living increase in 3 years, but the illegals get to work under-the-counter, are paid in cash thereby leaving no paper trail and they can still make a living yet claim they are indigent, and continue to collect all kinds of freebies and benefits that even American Citizens can't access. It's utterly amazing. Add to it the overwhelming majority don;t bother to obtain a drivers license, or insurance, and yet receive section 8 housing, WIC, free education, medical, food stamps, etc - hey, such a deal! Where do I apply? Oooops. Forgot. I can't. I'm expected to work my *** off, and pay taxes so paco y maria can continue burping out kids at our expense and collect government freebies while collectively sending 50 BILLION a year plus back to Mexico.

[flatbedbill]

To proudmex1 - they aren't "illegal immigrants". They are "Illegal Foreign Mexican National Aliens". Second, they pick what? Only 2% of "Illegal immigrants" work in agriculture (and yes, Whites work the fields, too). The illegals have left agriculture to steal construction and landscape jobs. I have no gripe with the children - they didn't asked to be born to illegal aliens who have them only to become US citizens, and have shown no hesitation to abandon them when ICE comes knocking.Paco, what "plug" are you going to pull? You people can't manage yourselves let alone us. Everything illegal Mexicans touch, they either knock-up, bankrupt or destroy it.Stop your whining. You illegals brought this on yourselves - you brought american contempt on yourselves. You think we're going to tolerate this forever? No way. Let your "future Doctors and Lawyers" march in the streets of Mexico and demand your "rights" instead of coming here and trying to change our system. This entire pandering to illegals thing has got me shaking my leaf blower in anger! "Pull the plug" LOL ... thats rich.

[flatbedbill]

....and the children being left behind concern me because?? Have I missed something here ???? It isn't my concern that their parents broke the law by sneaking in here, and having babies under the auspieces that it would cement the children and the parents to the USA without the "hassle" of the normal procedures for citizenship. That's the epitome of arrogance and hubris as well as personal irresponsibility. Why doesn't CBS do a story on citizen children of the USA who have slipped through the cracks and are impovershed instead of this "spin" story designed to foster sympathy for someone who has been here 18 years and STILL can't speak a word of english? They made their own beds, and made their own decisions. Now they are confronted with the consequences. It serves them right. I have absolutely no sympathy. The broadcast and print media LOVE to paint illegals as "victims". They canonize them every chance they get. They do not belong here. The only thing they deserve is a bus ride back to Mexico at Mexico's expense. The pro-illegal, ultra liberal traitors can take the bus ride with them.

[proudmex1]

Who gives a dam that you worked and did the chore at 9 or that you felt 40 at 10. These illegal immagrantes you all call, they all work the fields and product and pick the *** food you eat. they also make a living honestly to provide for their children. These children are little angels just like the White and black children. They are the ones that become Doctors,lawyers that either care for stupid old Ignorant American people like you. They are the one that are going to pull the plug on you when it is your time and let me tell all of you that the day that it comes to go answer to the man upstairs, you all are going to pay for what you all say and do especially for not being equal!!!

[bjr361]

You can bet these kids are milking the system by getting Aid for Dependent Children paid for by legal U.S. taxpayers, probably getting food stamps too.

Their parents had a free ride in the U.S. for 18 years as illegals. They made sure their children were born here so they would be natural born citizens of illegal immigrants. What other country allows illegal aliens to live in their domain and then leave their kids behind for the government to support?

[paz0_0]

Shoot them, they will keep crossing the line or river..and instead of finding a real solution to this problem, you would only get angrier. The overload in your system exists and will keep growing, good luck finding enough bullets in Texas to stop that...

[frankbowers]

it is not no one else wants the jobs that the illegal do it is they do it without paying tax which American's have to pay and can not live on what that is left.we need to shot a few of them get their attention and send the *** back across the line or river.the best of good byes frank bowers of austin,tx

[frankbowers]

it is not no one else wants the jobs that the illegal do it is they do it without paying tax which American's have to pay and can not live on what that is left.we need to shot a few of them get their attention and send the *** back across the line or river.the best of good byes frank bowers of austin,tx

[frankbowers]

I was only 9 when my mom went to the hospital and stayed until her death.Yes we had several hundred acres we farmed(no gas for the tractor just 4 mule teams and two of them) and this was during WWII and we survived my 11 year old sister did the house chores&my younger brother & i did the out side chores we went to the spring to get water,we chopped wood as there was no well and no gas.we did all this and passed in school(graduated at 17 with a b+ average)dad lost a leg and hearing in the Texas city explosion and was in the hospital for about 2 years i think this was 47 when I was 10.we made it&we were americans we had no food stamps,housing allowance,welfare none of the things the *** illegal mexicans are stealing daily.the kids should be forced to back to mexico as their parents were illegal and they should have their american citizenship stripped as they came under false pretense.I think the parents should be barred for staying here as long as they did illegal.i shed not one tear for the illegal kids.i do shed a tear for the black and brown and white kids who have to make a way due to the fact the illegal have overloaded our system and nothing is left for the the legal americans.frank bowers of austin,tx

[mrassekh]

They took a gamble and lost. Tough.

[paz0_0]

"My grandparents came over here, worked hard, and would NEVER think to storm the streets and demand their RIGHTS... Why don't you just show us how it's done?!!?"Did your grandparents or parents force out of the country? Did you at 16 had to be the sole responsability of your house?. If not, I still respect your opinion, but Im thinking that it would have being a complete different situation if the State was fragmenting your family. The right to be with your family should be an universal right, not just a right given to you by the State in which you were born. Dont think that Mexicans' are voiceless people who dont demand their rights, they do but eventually people get tired and not only from the corrupt country we Mexicans live in but mainly of looking at children starving, long generations of starving people, of hopeless people. So, ONLY then, they make a forced decision to go to another government that obviously doesnt want them, risking their lives in the process,changing their entire lives etc. The reality is that at least, first generation immigrants miss their country but they are doing it as a sacrifice for their family. If they had a choice, probably they will stay in Mexico but they dont have a choice. Of course illegal immigration remains illegal, there's always the question of whether the sacrifice of having these illegal immigrants in your country is greater that avoiding families being torn apart and looking at your "neighbors" starve....

[worldwatch]

How is it that one never hears of Russians, Germans, Italians, Indians (screw the flipping french) etc ... every one but latinos come here, learn English, (keep their $$$ here) conduct and mind their business quietly and, in the main) stay out of trouble? Don't believe it? Go down to your local county jail and see how many oriental folks you find. Almost NONE. They conduct their business, pay their taxes and don't get into everyone's face. But, no, we have to press one for English, 2 for spanish, print ballots in spanish etc.

[jcho3]

Maybe if they raise the wages people will want to do them. The people hurt the most from illegals working jobs that "nobody else wants" are Americans with high school educations or less. They are being forced to compete with people willing to work for nothing, according to you and others like you. Why not keep them here, exploit them for their cheap labor? That's your rationale.

I think there are legitimate industries that need people willing to work for next to nothing. But the illegals I've talked to don't want those jobs any more than Americans do, and they're moving away from those types of jobs. In fact, there was an incident last year where someone was here illegally from Guatemala that had a low level government job. Owned a house and everything. Yeah, that's really the types of jobs illegals are doing. I can't see any American who would want a govt. job with benefits, do you? And of course after they were busted and getting deported, their children bore the brunt of their parents actions, since some had been born here.

We need a guest worker program and it should be offered to people who don't try to cheat the system.

[worldwatch]

I'm so sick of getting (their version) a history lesson every time this suject comes up.

If it's history you want, consider what the spanish did to mexico .... chew on that one for awhile. Or do you even know?

Again, what part of illegal do you not understand?

[worldwatch]

"People with small minds are afraid of change and the evolution of cultures."

Avalanches are changes too, brainwave.
We're not afraid of anything ... we just don't WANT it and you wouldn't be able to do it witout the express assistance of te feds. We'd STOP you.

Now ... what part of illegal don't you understand?

[missyx21]

***tibu987

I never said it was okay for people to come here illegally. I just said that even when they do become citizens, that White America will still categorized them as illegal Mexicans because of how they look.

[xzavierbrown]

fine, kick the illegals out. raise the wages on 'jobs' nobody wants to do. We still save billions of dollars and we regain the quality of your society.

[jcho3]

" And it has been proven they work the jobs here in the USA that none of us want to work, many times earning much less than minimum wage..and yet we still complain about them.."

No they don't, not in this state. We have one of the highest minimum wages in the nation, and they are beating a path to here... one of the news stations did a report on the day labor situation here and the fact that the illegals stand outside the office with impunity, and won't take less than 10 bucks an hour. Not only that, but the farmers in this state face a real shortage of farm workers because the illegals have decided they don't like farm work and are now moving on to other, better jobs. I pay higher insurance premiums and taxes to support their kids and trips made to the hospital because they don't have insurance, while many citizens don't have insurance. They are not here for my benefit, they are here for their own benefit, and I am tired of their demanding their rights from a country they don't have citizenship to.

[pecasone]

Wow it amazes me that these postings sound so angry...It isn't always so easy to obtain the appropriate documents, visa, passports from each country.. In fact some countries only issue a certain number of Visa's a year.. One country issues a mere 26 visa's a year.. It cost money to get here.. Money most of illegals do not have..They are poor, working for pennies on the dollar and all they think about is how to make a good life for their family in the USA.. All they want is the same life we are afforded.. And it has been proven they work the jobs here in the USA that none of us want to work, many times earning much less than minimum wage..and yet we still complain about them.. If there was a way for many of them to do it legally without costing thousands of dollars and waiting years, Im sure less people would enter illegally.. Not all immigrants come with bad intentions...

[fonic8gw]

It is well known and said, at least in the border area w/ Mexico, that this particular type of family: of Mexican descent but long ago detached from the country of origin and its customs, with kids born in the U.S., known as "pochos", are not well received in Mexico. The common saying is: "Ni aqui ni alla los quieren" (nor here nor there do they like 'em.)
Tough situation but La Migra is La Migra.