Hi Elizabeth, What a heartbreaking story this. You don't need to be an immigration lawyer to weigh in on all of this administration's ICE-related atrocities. You are a very gifted writer.
I think you are exactly the right person to write this...a powerful account of making the universal personal. Sometimes hearing one family's story is more enlightening than a million hours of soul crushing news.
The thought that this struggle, which is small by comparison to some, might help someone see the national crisis with fresh eyes, was a motivator in deciding to write it down. Thanks, Eileen.
Well, you know exactly how close to home this hits for me. Was holding my breath the whole way through reading it. Watching my daughter navigate immigration to another country (for about 6 years now) has changed my understanding of it, too. She is probably in one of the best-case scenarios for such an undertaking, and it has still been so challenging. It has made me question deeply what our borders are for. I'm glad you wrote and shared this. You are an expert on your family's experience, and it is through hearing each others' stories that abstract policy becomes something real, and that is the only way I know for hearts and minds to change.
Thanks, Rita. I hope you know that I think of you and your daughter often as we find our own way through this. There are so many layers to the heartache and frustration in it, and the hope of it becoming more visible and relatable is what nudges us writers toward making these stories public. Look at us, springing eternal!
Your very personal perspective on this topic , Elizabeth, brings a much needed clarity to such a large /complex subject of concern. The Washington Post or New York Times would do well to reprint it or commission you to write of your family's experience for their publications. You write that you "still sleep at night", ..... the hard part for me sometimes is waking up. Thank you for your post.
Thank you, Mary. High praise, and I am sincerely grateful. Your final thought there, about it being hard to wake up, made me tear up. None of us want to live in a country with this reality, and yet I have to acknowledge that for some, it's always been the reality. That's sobering. One hope I have is that more of us are paying closer attention now and that our empathy and resolve are growing in equal measure.
Sending resilience to all who are suffering under this heartless regime. I am sure your daughter will be as moved as we are by your beautifully written story. Thank you for your voice during these troubling times.
How absolutely maddening--and heartbreaking. The civilized world should be open to everyone. A citizen should be able to enter his own country. A couple should be able to make a new life wherever they choose. A mother should be able to find comfort as her daughter finds love.
Beautifully written, Elizabeth. You don't need to have a license to be authentic.
Yes to all of those statements, Mona! Only one made the final "cut," but I spent time looking at the Augustus F. Sherman images of the people who came through Ellis Island. One in particular from the early years of 20th century caught my attention: A Serbian couple with three children. The caption said that after almost three months in detention, they were ultimately deported.
I'm not sure we will ever learn, Kim, but I can still hope that those who are willing to tap into empathy can help ease the roughness for others. Thank you for taking time to comment.
So sad your daughter, her partner and all of you have to go through this... it is abominable, yet it has been going on for a very long time, in different formats and nuances... not fun being an immigrant around here these days.
Yes, Erica, it certainly has. This administration has brought renewed levels of racism and hatred to the fore, but the same theme has been lurking in American policy and opinion for generations. Of course I thought of you as I wrote this piece. Thanks for reading and for the comment.
There's so much going on that my stoplight stays on red.... Not meaning stop but rather meaning angry.... So sorry this has happened in your family. to your daughter ..and to all of us. Nothing is sensible or loving or respectful these days... I don't know what has happened to our hearts, but I'm for sure convinced that both the heart and the soul are missing from a lot of what is going on... and from those who are causing it....
You and others in the comments have noted that these actions affect all of us, and Beth's remark just below brings that all the way home. The world should NOT trust the U.S. anymore, and that is both infuriating and heartbreaking to those of us who have stood in opposition all along. But here we are, still standing, and doing everything we can as citizens to resist. I want to believe we will find a time of renewed community and mutual support on the other side of it, even if neither of us lives long enough to see it happen.
I had a most wonderful month-long visit to South America in June/July. Every member of the travelling group, from Australia and Canada, made absolutely certain that we travelled via routes that avoided the USA. The rest of the world doesn’t trust your country anymore. It’s heartbreaking.
I do so hope that life goes well for your daughter and her fellow and that you might have a wonderful get-together in Costa Rica perhaps? It’s an amazing country and potentially safe for all travellers.
Happy for you and your getaway, Beth. That sounds fabulous, and I'd love to learn more about what you learned!
You and your group were right to be wary of traveling here, and that is something I never, ever dreamed I'd say. Heartbreaking is the only word for it.
As I hope I conveyed, daughter and boyfriend are making the best of the situation, and we are all finding silver linings in among the clouds, among them, considering Panama as a mid-way rendezvous point in early '27, for our widely dispersed but highly connected family.
I hope the same, Linda, and I'm also hoping we-the-people are able to guide this wildly off the rails train back on course very soon. Thanks for your comment.
Methinks it might be safer if they stay in Brazil, or perhaps return to Australia.
How safe would he be in the States despite fiancee status? On what we read and hear, not very.
And in a way, if you go to the media with it, it shines a huge spotlight on them and their difficulties. There are plenty of friendly countries in this world who will welcome them willingly and safely (which is just the way it should be). No, not with family. But a safe future is everything, isn't it?
Well, there's definitely no perfect solution. Brazil faces its own challenges with gang-driven crime and poverty. I don't know with certainty what his options would be, but for her, staying in Australia wasn't an open path either. She does not hold skills in the areas the government will approve for immigration. I gather international relocation has become considerably harder in a lot of countries, not just the U.S., which is something I hadn't fully appreciated until following their situation.
A safe future does feel like the thing to prioritize. I just wish there were more straightforward ways for people like them to find one.
Thanks for your thoughtfulness, Prue, and for caring.
Oh Elizabeth, I had no idea of the depth of this situation! I am sorry this is happening to all of you. It truly enrages me and I don't feel that the press is covering many of the components of how MAGA is trying to make America White again. WTF is in order.
Trump's wife is an immigrant FFS why does no one talk about that?! His last one, too! Im wound up for you my friend. Keep us apprised. ~J
Thanks, Janice. I'm so grateful for the understanding and shared frustration. (That's what I'm calling it today, anyway, though other days it's definitely full blown anger.)
I will note, however, that while the current administration has turned a blind eye to egregious and escalating human rights failures, the foundations of it started much longer ago and run much deeper. It's very hard to look at the country I thought I knew through that lens.
I'm so sorry to hear of your daughter's predicament. As if it's not bad enough having a child so far from home, and now to be up against all this! I assumed we would all feel the effects of this terrible regime in a personal way if they stay in power long enough. I hope that things get resolved for everyone involved and they can eventually make their home wherever they want, including the US!
That's my greatest wish, too, Ms. Writer. Thank you for putting that in words. For the time being, I try to focus on this being an opportunity for her to better understand his culture and learn Portuguese. And I'm super grateful for FaceTime.
Really appreciate your taking time to read and comment. Hope all is well.
Hi Elizabeth, What a heartbreaking story this. You don't need to be an immigration lawyer to weigh in on all of this administration's ICE-related atrocities. You are a very gifted writer.
Thank you, Wayne. I'm grateful for the understanding and support. Really appreciating you taking time to comment.
It was my pleasure. Your writing is truly stellar.
I think you are exactly the right person to write this...a powerful account of making the universal personal. Sometimes hearing one family's story is more enlightening than a million hours of soul crushing news.
The thought that this struggle, which is small by comparison to some, might help someone see the national crisis with fresh eyes, was a motivator in deciding to write it down. Thanks, Eileen.
Some sooner, harder…
we will all get hit by this.
Because we’re all one.
Oh...so much yes, Marisol. You've landed on the universal truth that so few are able to recognize. Thank you, and thanks for restacking!
Thank you. We need to hear from gifted writers-and real people. Like you.
Thanks, Carol. I'm grateful for the affirmation and that you took the time to put that here.
Well, you know exactly how close to home this hits for me. Was holding my breath the whole way through reading it. Watching my daughter navigate immigration to another country (for about 6 years now) has changed my understanding of it, too. She is probably in one of the best-case scenarios for such an undertaking, and it has still been so challenging. It has made me question deeply what our borders are for. I'm glad you wrote and shared this. You are an expert on your family's experience, and it is through hearing each others' stories that abstract policy becomes something real, and that is the only way I know for hearts and minds to change.
Thanks, Rita. I hope you know that I think of you and your daughter often as we find our own way through this. There are so many layers to the heartache and frustration in it, and the hope of it becoming more visible and relatable is what nudges us writers toward making these stories public. Look at us, springing eternal!
I think often of you and your family, too. So many layers, indeed!
Your very personal perspective on this topic , Elizabeth, brings a much needed clarity to such a large /complex subject of concern. The Washington Post or New York Times would do well to reprint it or commission you to write of your family's experience for their publications. You write that you "still sleep at night", ..... the hard part for me sometimes is waking up. Thank you for your post.
True! Or The Guardian.
Thank you, Mary. High praise, and I am sincerely grateful. Your final thought there, about it being hard to wake up, made me tear up. None of us want to live in a country with this reality, and yet I have to acknowledge that for some, it's always been the reality. That's sobering. One hope I have is that more of us are paying closer attention now and that our empathy and resolve are growing in equal measure.
Sending resilience to all who are suffering under this heartless regime. I am sure your daughter will be as moved as we are by your beautifully written story. Thank you for your voice during these troubling times.
She told me the story made her cry, and I admitted to doing the same as I was writing it. 🥺 Thank you so much, Teresa.
Well I did a little too!
How absolutely maddening--and heartbreaking. The civilized world should be open to everyone. A citizen should be able to enter his own country. A couple should be able to make a new life wherever they choose. A mother should be able to find comfort as her daughter finds love.
Beautifully written, Elizabeth. You don't need to have a license to be authentic.
Yes to all of those statements, Mona! Only one made the final "cut," but I spent time looking at the Augustus F. Sherman images of the people who came through Ellis Island. One in particular from the early years of 20th century caught my attention: A Serbian couple with three children. The caption said that after almost three months in detention, they were ultimately deported.
So grateful for your support. Thank you.
❤️💔❤️
That which happens to one, affects us all. When will we learn? 💙
I'm not sure we will ever learn, Kim, but I can still hope that those who are willing to tap into empathy can help ease the roughness for others. Thank you for taking time to comment.
So sad your daughter, her partner and all of you have to go through this... it is abominable, yet it has been going on for a very long time, in different formats and nuances... not fun being an immigrant around here these days.
Yes, Erica, it certainly has. This administration has brought renewed levels of racism and hatred to the fore, but the same theme has been lurking in American policy and opinion for generations. Of course I thought of you as I wrote this piece. Thanks for reading and for the comment.
There's so much going on that my stoplight stays on red.... Not meaning stop but rather meaning angry.... So sorry this has happened in your family. to your daughter ..and to all of us. Nothing is sensible or loving or respectful these days... I don't know what has happened to our hearts, but I'm for sure convinced that both the heart and the soul are missing from a lot of what is going on... and from those who are causing it....
You and others in the comments have noted that these actions affect all of us, and Beth's remark just below brings that all the way home. The world should NOT trust the U.S. anymore, and that is both infuriating and heartbreaking to those of us who have stood in opposition all along. But here we are, still standing, and doing everything we can as citizens to resist. I want to believe we will find a time of renewed community and mutual support on the other side of it, even if neither of us lives long enough to see it happen.
Thank you, as ever, Barry.
I had a most wonderful month-long visit to South America in June/July. Every member of the travelling group, from Australia and Canada, made absolutely certain that we travelled via routes that avoided the USA. The rest of the world doesn’t trust your country anymore. It’s heartbreaking.
I do so hope that life goes well for your daughter and her fellow and that you might have a wonderful get-together in Costa Rica perhaps? It’s an amazing country and potentially safe for all travellers.
Take care my dear.
Sending heaps of hugs and best wishes.
Happy for you and your getaway, Beth. That sounds fabulous, and I'd love to learn more about what you learned!
You and your group were right to be wary of traveling here, and that is something I never, ever dreamed I'd say. Heartbreaking is the only word for it.
As I hope I conveyed, daughter and boyfriend are making the best of the situation, and we are all finding silver linings in among the clouds, among them, considering Panama as a mid-way rendezvous point in early '27, for our widely dispersed but highly connected family.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
Thankfully she is so much closer than Australia now. So much easier to make those physical connections. 🤗🤗
Just when I thought I'd heard it all ...
I hope your daughter finds a brilliant life in her new country and that you will get to see each other as often as possible.
I hope the same, Linda, and I'm also hoping we-the-people are able to guide this wildly off the rails train back on course very soon. Thanks for your comment.
Goodness!
Methinks it might be safer if they stay in Brazil, or perhaps return to Australia.
How safe would he be in the States despite fiancee status? On what we read and hear, not very.
And in a way, if you go to the media with it, it shines a huge spotlight on them and their difficulties. There are plenty of friendly countries in this world who will welcome them willingly and safely (which is just the way it should be). No, not with family. But a safe future is everything, isn't it?
Well, there's definitely no perfect solution. Brazil faces its own challenges with gang-driven crime and poverty. I don't know with certainty what his options would be, but for her, staying in Australia wasn't an open path either. She does not hold skills in the areas the government will approve for immigration. I gather international relocation has become considerably harder in a lot of countries, not just the U.S., which is something I hadn't fully appreciated until following their situation.
A safe future does feel like the thing to prioritize. I just wish there were more straightforward ways for people like them to find one.
Thanks for your thoughtfulness, Prue, and for caring.
Oh Elizabeth, I had no idea of the depth of this situation! I am sorry this is happening to all of you. It truly enrages me and I don't feel that the press is covering many of the components of how MAGA is trying to make America White again. WTF is in order.
Trump's wife is an immigrant FFS why does no one talk about that?! His last one, too! Im wound up for you my friend. Keep us apprised. ~J
Thanks, Janice. I'm so grateful for the understanding and shared frustration. (That's what I'm calling it today, anyway, though other days it's definitely full blown anger.)
I will note, however, that while the current administration has turned a blind eye to egregious and escalating human rights failures, the foundations of it started much longer ago and run much deeper. It's very hard to look at the country I thought I knew through that lens.
I'm so sorry to hear of your daughter's predicament. As if it's not bad enough having a child so far from home, and now to be up against all this! I assumed we would all feel the effects of this terrible regime in a personal way if they stay in power long enough. I hope that things get resolved for everyone involved and they can eventually make their home wherever they want, including the US!
That's my greatest wish, too, Ms. Writer. Thank you for putting that in words. For the time being, I try to focus on this being an opportunity for her to better understand his culture and learn Portuguese. And I'm super grateful for FaceTime.
Really appreciate your taking time to read and comment. Hope all is well.