Ralph Isenberg and the Isenberg Center for Immigration Empowerment (ICIE) recently held a press conference at Dallas City Hall so that Sylvia Marroquin could tell her story of being one of the refugee border kids. We have included video of the event here. Because audio of the translation is difficult to hear, a transcript of Sylvia's statement, in English, is included below.
Sylvia Marroquin escaped the violence in El Salvador in hopes of reuniting with her parents in Dallas, who came here for work but had to leave her and her brother behind with an ailing grandmother. When violence in her neighborhood and school threatened her safety, her desperate parents had to pay a smuggler (called a coyote) to bring her to the United States. They could not afford to bring both children, so her younger brother stayed behind.
The smuggler who was supposed to escort Sylvia ended up attacking her, and she barely made it to the United States alive. Even though she is now reunited with her parents, she is still in danger, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wants to send her back to El Salvador, and is also trying to deport her father, who came here legally under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a special designation given to immigrants from violent and dangerous foreign countries. His TPS was not renewed by ICE, even though the violence in El Salvador has gotten worse.
Ralph Isenberg, who appears at the beginning of the video, is working hard to keep this family together in the U.S., and is trying to convince ICE to allow him to bring Sylvia's younger brother here, who is still in danger in El Salvador.
Here is an English transcript of Sylvia's statement. It may differ slightly from the translation you may hear, as we included the statement as Sylvia originally wrote it.
"My name is Silvia Marroquin and I’m here today to tell you of my experiences. I’m from the country of El Salvador and before I go any further I want to first thank the agents at the border that protected me after the coyotes brought me all the way from El Salvador to the United States. I also want to thank the people in Chicago, Illinois that worked with me so that in a short time, a month in a half, I was reunited with my family here in Dallas, Texas.
"The most important message that I will tell you today is to ask and beg on behalf of my family that the government of the United States find a way to bring my 10 year old brother, Alexis, here to the United States, here to Dallas immediately.
"There is no more family in El Salvador for him, he stays with my grandma, who is very sick right now. They live in a shed, a tin shed, behind a house and he goes and begs on the street for food since his school closed, two months ago. Two months ago, my brother’s school bus driver was getting off the bus and shot to death in front of him. The next day the school closed and it’s not been open since.
"I also have known this sort of violence because last year in March my math school teacher was murdered in the same way like the school bus driver. You have no idea how scary it is to live in a country where the gangs will shoot children.
"My father and mother had a very difficult decision to make. They can either bring me or they can bring my brother to the United States. They could not bring both of us because the cost was $4,500 dollars per person. My father choose me because I’m a woman and because of my age and he thought it best that I be out of the country the soonest.
"I left with the coyote from El Salvador and what I did not understand or know was it because I was only 13 I would not be going with the rest of the people, instead we went on a route through Guatemala and Mexico that was much different, much higher, very scary, not much food, not much water, but the worst thing was that I was attacked repeatedly by coyote and others and I will not quickly forget that attack.
"In order for me to make sense of what has happened to me and my family, I will beg this government to immediately allow Mr. Isenberg to go and get my brother. The government of El Salvador knows the situation and has not given him permission to get my brother.
"I had been through a tremendous amount of pain and hardship. My family has being through a tremendous amount of pain and hardship. And in order for this pain and hardship to have any meaning at all we must be united as a family, and that is something I will ask in the name of God, it is so important.
"One thing I do know, is that we are all Americans. Canada, United States, Mexico, the Centrals, are all part of North America and I should be able to be safe in the Americas, but I do know that now I’m in the United States of America this is where I want to stay, and be able to be free, and get my education.
"I know Mr. Isenberg is not an attorney but I want to become an attorney for him and be able to practice law and help people in the courts where he has so much trouble.
"I thank you for listening to my story and I hope that my story explains to you the hardship that individuals and families go through to come to the United States."
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