NAPLES — U.S. senators said it Monday, the president said it Tuesday: the country's immigration system is broken.
Yajaira Rivera lives out that brokenness every day.
"Tell my gordito that I love him," her husband told her over the phone from Mexico last week, on their youngest child's birthday. "Give him a big hug and a big kiss like I would do."
She fell in love with her husband as a teen in Fort Myers knowing he came to the U.S. from Mexico without papers, and it's a decision she doesn't regret.
Now she hopes the reforms proposed by federal lawmakers and President Barack Obama in two separate plans last week will include the tools to piece together her broken family.
They married young, she admits. But love at first sight became a decade-long marriage, raising three children in Lee County and building up a little bit of savings.
"He wouldn't have a Friday or weekend with his (friends). If he went somewhere, it was always with us," Rivera, 27, said of her husband, who is five years her senior.
They got by, but when construction work dropped off locally, the young family made the decision that ultimately would keep them apart.
"Throughout that whole year, he had no work," Rivera recalled. "He was so desperate, so he said, 'let's go back to Mexico.' "
In theory, they would regroup there, the couple thought, and at first it worked. They made a little money after moving there in 2009, and then thought better of the idea when work tapered off there.
Rivera, a U.S. citizen, expected to come back home to sort through paperwork, meet with a lawyer and get her husband in legally.
"Things went completely backward ... there's really nothing you can do," she found out.
There have been trips to Mexico to be together again, but money is thin with Rivera working a clerical job in Fort Myers to pay rent on the one-bedroom apartment she lives in with the children, now 4, 6 and 11.
The White House and senators' separate proposals each focus on creating a way for most of the estimated 11 million people already in the U.S. illegally to become citizens. Each plan calls for strengthening border security, cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants and streamlining the system for legal immigration.
Obama and Senate lawmakers all want people here illegally to register with the government, pass criminal and national security background checks, and pay fees, penalties and back taxes.
The two proposals laid out on Monday and Tuesday would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the U.S., like Rivera's husband was from his late teens until his late 20s.
But without a bill in hand that details who can apply, for what, for how long, and at what financial cost, families in Southwest Florida are left wondering if they will be counted into any reform legislation this year. In the meantime, they remain separated by borders and detention centers, or just hopeful to no longer worry about the threat of deportation of a parent or child.
"He wants to come, buy a house, learn English, further his education. He's talked to me about all these plans ... it's just a dream," Rivera said of her husband. "That's the sad part. It's just a dream."
Winged Foot Scholar Athlete Award
2013 Winged Foot nominees
Baseball - Estero 3, Creekside 1
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 29
sunburnt writes:
Wha, wha, wha, why doesnt he apply for a visa and do it the right way. So they moved to Mexico and she moved back? Sure because uncle sam will pay for everything for her.
suntan writes:
Cry me a river....Life is not fair....No free lunch...And the sayings go on forever and you should have sayed home.
Creep writes:
Having three children in a one bedroom apartment is not an immigration issue, it's a planned parenthood issue and that is the sad part.
Bramble writes:
She could always take herself and the kids to Mexico. Why is that not an option? And how much and what kind of public assistance is she getting?
He came without papers. Sounds so benign.
He really came here illegally to steal a job and all the privileges of citizens and legal residents.
He and millions of other illegals are counting on US politicians giving away the store again.
This will not happen.
Magic81 writes:
I have always thought, with no specific data to back it up, that the difference in immigration issues of today compared to the past "who made America great" is that a lot of the earnings of the immigrants today--hispanic in the South, Brazilian in some northern areas, is that a fair share of what is earned in this country is sent back to their own "country" and does nothing to support the American economy.
Just a thought that I have come to based on my own observations and direct contact---any specific evidence to support or reject this "theory"???
naplesconservative writes:
Amazing. They fell in love as teens in Ft. Myers. He is now 32 and lived here until 2009 when I guess he was 27 or 28. NOW he wants to learn english. I wonder about the other "facts" in the article.
beerbong writes:
I did not see if the kids were born in the US.
It says she is a US citizen. If the kids were born in the us, that makes them citizens too. These people know they problem with doing something like this. If the work had not ran out he would still be in the US, illegally. And as far as the dream. He knew he was in this country illegally,what does he expect? I know a lot of Spanish that have been in this country 25 years and have no intentions of learning English. It is bad enough in SW Florida,go to Miami-Dade county. It's like a third world country, It's OK to come to the US. But it is not OK to come to the US and make it the country you ran away from. And I do not care about the political problems in that country,Not my worry. And as far as the work goes, I have see one Spanish person come to a job and tell the boss he can bring in a crew that will work for half of what he's currently paying. That's stacking the deck. And you will play hell finding hardly anyone who speaks English on these type of jobs. And that I can tell,they have no intentions of learning. Coming to this country and under cutting American workers,don't cut it with me. If you come to this country the right way,WELCOME. If you come to this country illegally, and expect to stay here that way,get out, and take your families with you. You made your problem America did not.
napleschik writes:
Until Obama opens the gates to millions of new supporters, we have laws that have to be followed.
Nina6520 writes:
"Rivera, a U.S. citizen, expected to come back home to sort through paperwork, meet with a lawyer and get her husband in legally.
"Things went completely backward ... there's really nothing you can do," she found out."
WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.
Every U.S. citizen has the right under the law to sponsor members of their immediate family - spouse, parents and children for green cards, so what's the problem?
All this woman needs to do is fill out an I-130 (available from the USCIS website), pay the filing fees of $430 and, hey presto, hubby gets to come here legally.
Unfortunately, for people like me who came here legally, bought a small business and created employment for Americans, there is no such path.
The E2 visa does not lead to green cards, but being married to an American citizen does, so, no sympathy here.
SWFLUSMC writes:
I will never understand why those who "walk" here are judged more important than those who "fly" here... Build the wall and when everyone has to wait at the same doorway, then we will see equal treatment!
GTR5 writes:
What part of illegal is it that they do not understand? All illegals need to be picked up and deported, all of them, and send their anchor babies with them. Send Rubio, Menendez and Barry with them also.
Column18 writes:
Why is this written as they are awaiting their fate? They entered the country illegally. They broke the law. They disrespect the law. They disrespect us.
It should read, legal US citizens are in limbo awaiting what Congress will do to them.
beerbong writes:
You say they disrespect us,if you want to really find out how much they disrespect us,learn Spanish and do not tell anyone. Then go out an just listen. They do not love Americans near as much as some think. They would get PO'ed if we called them dogs.
brianfl writes:
What these people don't realize is that Obama has been playing them all along. I'll admit he is a smart guy. The reason why immigration reform never got done in his first term is because he had no intention if doing it. He held that card in his back pocket the whole time. He knows the majority of Americans don't support a full amnesty program like he is proposing now because it means the jobless have to compete with illegals for jobs. Notice how he only talked about the "dreamers" in the campaign. He knows americans have sympathy for those people but not the ones who sneaked in knowingly breaking the law. He pulled it at just the right time around the elections to use it for the Hispanic vote. He dangled it in front of you people. He used to try an make the GOP look bad and it worked. But the GOP didn't lose because they didn't get the Hispanic vote. They lost because of their crazy religious views, anti gay, and abortion crap. Obama knows its about setting up future generation Hispanic voters. You know the ones that are the anchor babies growing up and turning into legal voters.
PlumSmuggler writes:
Granting amnesty?...I think I'll claim he & his 11.5 million criminal brethren on my tax return as dependents! I wonder if the Government would grant that?
Chester writes:
We need to have a massive round up and deport all of them and make them get in line and apply from their home country. Rewarding law breakers is an act of treason. The Dear Leader is ruining America day by day and his lemmings just repeat, "yes we can."
Mo779 writes:
I applied LEGALLY enter the USA from the UK in 1980 - my brother, an American citizen, sponsored me, however because of the immigrant "system" it took me 5+ years to receive permission to enter. I had to undergo rigerous checks - HIV, TB, and the fact that I could financially support myself!! Guess I should have gone to Mexico, and crossed the border illegally.
CarpeVeritas writes:
"It cost American Tax Payers over 338,000,000,000 Billion Dollars a year to Support ILLEGAL's."
Intelligence springs out at the reader from this sentence. Besides the perfect grammar, the amount of money spent each year by tax payers is staggering: 338 quintillion dollars. Considering there is only 1.16 trillion dollars in circulation, I think that's way to much to pay illegals each year.
In other words, we taxpayers are spending each year one hundred thousand times as many dollars as exist in the world.
Shocking. BTW, pitbull must have a special copy of the U.S. Constitution. The phrase "protection from invaders" doesn't appear in mine.
But even geniuses can be given a little slack. Thank God for citizens as smart as pitbull.
Magic81 writes:
and you think it all happened in the last 4 years??
"The illegal immigrant population of the United States in 2008 was estimated by the Center for Immigration Studies to be about 11 million people, down from 12.5 million people in 2007. Other estimates range from 7 to 20 million."
Are YOU going to volunteer to help round up 11 Million, even as of 2008??? Sure, it's all Obama's fault--Been going on for a while--where have you been??
"The Obama administration deported at least 400,000 illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2012, a NEW RECORD. It emphasizes deporting 'criminal aliens' to protect public safety, but the high figure serves to remind Latinos of the president's unfilled pledge to reform immigration policy."
----Christian Science Monitor
And it looks like maybe the President was doing more than you thought?? Maybe you didn't know this.
Reagan signed an immigration reform bill in 1986 granting amnesty to 3 Million illegal aliens--did Reagan ruin American too???
BigOrangeKitty writes:
You brag about Obama's deportation record but you conveniently forget that Obama's administration SUED the state of Arizona over their law against illegal immigration.
You bring up Reagan granting amnesty but you conveniently forget to mention that he only did it because he was advised that it would end the problem, once and for all. You also conveniently forget to mention that Reagan regretted granting amnesty.
BigOrangeKitty writes:
Mo779, thank you for doing it the right way!
Magic81 writes:
Not bragging about anything--just putting the immigration issue into perspective. It is equally unfair to post here like it is all his fault. And only Congress has the power to do it anyway. Reagan thought it would end it once and for all?? sure--and so will the next amnesty bill when passed. And if it is "ruining America", it has been going on a lot longer than 4 years.
Seems like the Republicans are the ones pushing amnesty now--so maybe it will pass the House--but their reason is political for votes of course.
Everyone just wants to ruin America--
privateroad writes:
except his uncle.
tacony19 writes:
Include with the round-up and deportation all of the business owners who made fortunes from the slave labor that was employed while the taxpayers paid the tab for health benefits, social programs, etc. for their workforce. Do you really think for one second these illegals could afford to live here on their low wages without public assistance? Get real; Republicans and Democrats, one and the same.
BigOrangeKitty writes:
"only Congress has the power to do it anyway."
You're conveniently forgetting about Obama's Executive Order that gave amnesty to thousands.
BigOrangeKitty writes:
I don't think I'd deport the business owners, but I wouldn't mind seeing them in jail for hiring illegals.
Magic81 writes:
I thought that we were talking about "millions", and the bill now going through the Senate--did you forget about that?
cs84 writes:
Too bad. come here legally like my grandparents did and this wouldn't be a problem.
mwyatt22 writes:
Her oldest is 11 and she's 27. She was 16 when she had this kid and he is 5 years older than her so he was 21. She could have been 15 when he got her pregnant, maybe even younger when he first started having sex with her, and he would have been 20 or 21. So let me get this straight. This guy comes to our country illegally and gets a fifteen or sixteen year old girl pregnant. Why should we allow this pedophile back into our country?
I was grocery shopping the other day and saw something that turned my stomache. A non english speaking hispanic woman with a small child and with another on the way was paying for her food with WIC. Why are you having more children when you can't afford the one you have? The people that support this country are being outbred by the people who mooch off this country. Does no one see a fundamental flaw in this system. People that cannot afford the children they have are breeding like rabbits and I see more and more of this every day and they certainly see nothing wrong with this and don't care. A day is coming when things will reach a breaking point and I fear for what will happen.
Want to participate in the conversation? Become a subscriber today. Subscribers can read and comment on any story, anytime. Non-subscribers will only be able to view comments on select stories.