Real Immigrant Stories

The people below are not alone.  Our broken immigration system affect tens of millions of lives every year.  Too often, their stories go untold, please read what they have to say.  Do you have an immigration story that you would like to tell?  Click here to share your story.

Brenda Gamez - Inglewood, California

As a an outreach counselor for a local university in Orange County California, I see so many students have their dreams crushed when they get to senior year of high school.  Some I see even earlier, Students who know that they do not have a bright future without legal status. Students stop taking school seriously as early as 7 or 8th grade.  They know that they will end up looking for jobs when they get older but will not be able to legally obtain one.  These are students that have been born and raised here in the United States or their entire life. This is the place they call home.  They are just as American as the kid sitting next to them in class.  Why is it that we have to limit their potential just because they were born on the wrong side of the border.  I was once one of those students, luckily I had an opportunity to take advantage of an immigration reform law. This allowed me to become the productive individual I am today As an outreach counselor pursuing a Master’s degree in Higher Education. I do everything in my power to help undocumented and documented students gain access higher education, but it is sometimes sad to hear and see that these students are being held back by political views.