Undocumented immigrant mother in Minnesota shares worst fear: "We are scared our family will be separated"
WRIGHT COUNTY, Minn. — Volunteers in Wright County are making sure immigrants know their rights as President Trump delivers on his promise of an illegal immigration crackdown.
They met with an undocumented mother this week who's preparing for her worst-case scenario: being separated from her kids.
"I think it's very critical that the kids should not be jeopardized," said Glenda Dalman, one of the volunteers.
The mother, who WCCO is calling Ava, came to the U.S. illegally from El Salvador in 2013.
Her oldest daughter made the journey in 2017, when she was 4, with Ava's mother.
The two were stopped.
"They were separated, and then [my daughter] was put in a foster care system at the border, and my mom was deported back to El Salvador," Ava said.
Ava says her daughter spent nearly a month at the border before they were eventually reunited.
A therapist had the little girl write about and draw her experiences, which she shared with WCCO.
One page was titled "Bad Dreams."
Another says, "I would tell anyone who is coming from El Salvador to make sure they have papers...so they don't have to go through what I went through. It's scary and sad."
"We are scared our family will be separated again," Ava said.
Ava's two other children were born in the U.S. Her family works, pays taxes and is involved in the community.
"[My daughter is] right now in volleyball," Ava said. "She was in Girl Scouts. My son plays basketball and baseball. My little ones play soccer."
The volunteers are helping Ava plan for her family if she's taken.
"The call as Christians is to love people and there's no hierarchy on who we should love the most or who we should love first," said Rev. Brian Entz, the pastor at Buffalo Presbyterian Church. "You love your neighbor as yourself."
Cathy Wolff, another volunteer, said, "I want immigrants to know that people in the broader community support them. We want them here, we value them."
Even with the help and support, Ava says, "I have never felt this fear that I do now."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it's focusing on deportations of criminals.
ICE announced Wednesday the St. Paul field office arrested two men who allegedly committed sexual assault, including one against a child.
NOTE: The above story originally aired on Feb. 3
