"Please don’t deport my dad. Don’t take TPS away. We need to find ways to protect my dad and the hundreds of thousands of other TPS holders so that families like mine will not be torn apart."
I’m 17 years old and a senior in high school. I was born in Berkeley and have lived in the East Bay my whole life. My dad has Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The Trump administration has cancelled TPS for over 300,000 people, including 57,000 people from Honduras. If we don’t create a legislative solution for TPS holders, my dad could be deported by January 2020.
My parents are originally from Honduras. My dad came first and got settled in 1999, before I was born. Then my mom came in 2000. They both wanted to raise a family and make sure that their kids had access to a good education and could live free of violence.
I’m the oldest of four children. My oldest brother is about to turn 13. He loves my dad and works with him every Saturday. My youngest brother is 9, and my little sister is 7. We are all U.S. citizens.
My dad got Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in 1999. TPS was created for Hondurans after a devastating hurricane in Honduras. TPS allowed my dad to get a work permit and stay in the U.S. legally, since it wasn’t safe to return to Honduras. With TPS and a work permit, my dad got a job working at a metal and roofing company; 19 years later, he is still at the same company. He has proven himself to be an excellent worker and has been promoted three times. He is now a supervisor.
TPS allowed my dad to have a stable income, stay in the U.S., and support his family. My dad has lived here for almost twenty years, paying taxes, sending his children to school, and buying our home. He works a lot and often goes to side jobs on the weekends. He loves fishing with his brothers and his kids.
I’m very proud of my family and feel very grateful for how far we’ve come. My parents have worked really hard to get us to where we are today.
As a senior in high school, I’m in a special program at community college to gain skills in the medical field. My dream is to go into neonatal nursing and help premature babies. After community college, I plan to transfer to a 4-year college for my degree. I am grateful to the U.S. for the education that I have been able to receive. I was able to get a job at age 16. My family is all together, and we feel safe and connected.
There is no reason to kick my dad out of the U.S. He has been here for 20 years and done everything right. I feel sad, mad, and frustrated at the thought that my father could be deported at any moment when he has done nothing wrong.
As you may know, the conditions in Honduras are still very dangerous. Honduras is a place people are trying to flee due to gang violence. From what I know, it’s dangerous to even walk around the streets. My dad is afraid to go back. As an outsider who has lived in the U.S. for almost twenty years, he could be targeted for violence or extortion.
If my dad is deported, it would be devastating to our family and community. We are all really close. I don’t know what we would do without him. Besides our emotional bond, he is the main breadwinner in our family. We would probably lose our house and wouldn’t be able to continue our education. I wouldn’t know what to do or how to survive without him.
