Immigration Orphans: How US Policy is Hurting American Kids

Brandi, an 8-year-old American child, vividly remembers the morning her father—an illegal Mexican immigrant—was forcibly taken from their Miami home by federal immigration officials. She had been getting ready for school when ICE officials entered the house with guns, demanding her father's arrest. She has not seen her father since.

Her story is heartbreaking but it is not unique: more than 100,000 American children are affected by parental deportations each year. These deportations can have devastating consequences for children; apart from the emotional and psychological effects of losing a parent, these children often end up in a financially perilous situation or are even placed in foster care. The byproduct of a broken immigration system, these childrens' stories have often gone unnoticed.

Except by Nora Sandigo.

A Nicaraguan immigrant and current Miami resident, Sandigo has devoted the past six years to helping children like Brandi. She is the legal guardian of over 800 American children who have lost at least one parent to deportation.

"It’s a blessing and a huge honor knowing that I can serve with what I have. Its not as much as I would wish because I don’t have the means and I’m just one person, but I’m really happy to be able to do something for these kids," says Sandigo.

Parents who fear deportation sign a contract with Nora, granting her "power of attorney" of their children in case they are deported. This enables Nora to oversee their daily needs, such as doctors appointments and school meetings. It also means that should deportation occur, she can take care of the child until they get placed in a home with family or friends. For illegal immigrant parents, this is a huge relief. Often times their worse fear is that their child will be put up for adoption and they will have to fight to regain custody rights.

And the children aren't the only ones who pay for the current immigration situation—taxpayers do too. It costs taxpayers approximately $26,000 a year for every child in foster care. In 2011, the US government spent at least $133 million to place these "immigration orphans" into foster care. In more recent years, this number is estimated to be closer to $600 million.

For the most part, though, Nora provides for the childrens' everyday needs.

"Every day we deliver emergency supplies to different homes in Miami and we visit the kids and bring them urgent things such as milk, Corn Flakes, things they need everyday, we also give them school supplies, clothes. In some cases we need to take them in an emergency because they need to go to the doctor, the parents or parent who is still there, who wasn’t deported, doesn’t have transportation. So we’re looking out after all of these details," says Sandigo.

President Obama's executive stay on deportations is still in effect. However, even if it survives legal battles brought forth by Republicans, it will expire in 2016 when he leaves office. In order to provide lasting relief to these American children, Congress needs to enact a more comprehensive and humane immigration policy.

Approximately 8 minutes.

Produced by Amanda Winkler. Shot by Winkler and Joshua Swain. Narration by Alexis Garcia.

[lpwnage]

You are right, they need to send the kid back to the father's homeland,

[JonathanG]

Immigration policy shouldn't be based purely on emotion. It's tragic these kids do get left behind, but doesn't happen a lot. If parents are gonna be deported then the logical thing is that they're kids go with them back to their native country. In principle, I'm not against the idea of open borders and people coming and going at will. But this situation is FAR from satisfactory with a giant welfare state and a drug war going on. First thing would be is to secure the border, decrease the rate of illegal immigration and the federal govt ENDS the war on drugs via repealing all federal drug laws and abolishing the DEA. Let drug policy be practiced purely by the states. If California wants to legalize hereon while Alabama continues prohibiting it then so be it. But the feds remain 100% neutral in this arena. Also the border states of TX, NM, AZ and CA can help assist in securing the border. And I have a solution that'll prevent any spending from going up; take ALL money that's going to foreign, ALL money that's to the drug war and re-appropriate to securing the southern border with the help of the states. And Congress and ONLY Congress deals with all this.

[GeoFry]

American by technicality.  Fine still an American.  She can come back when she turns 18 and enjoy her full citizenship.  If not then she can go home with her parents.  How is this so hard to understand?

[vdjkdlp]

So the question really is, "How do we get these kids to whatever country their parents have been deported to?". We cannot make immigration policy decisions based on emotion. We have a responsibility to know who is coming into our country. Its sad that she is not with her dad but . Who was her dad??? Was he a drug dealer, smuggler, on the run from a cartel??? "That is sad." Is not a sufficient argument it is just an appeal to emotion. Send the kids to be with their parent. Case closed.

[RVAspeculator]

Never thought I would see Reason using the "but what about the children" argument.

[chubbyninja]

Birthright citizenship became a thing to deal with the problem of former slaves being disenfranchised from voting. That is no longer a problem.Repeal that amendment, require that at least 1 parent be a US citizen for default citizenship, and if someone gets deported, their kids go with them. The family stays together. Problem solved.

[stretchyjim]

no parent should ever leave their children in a foreign country. the parents are to blame. they should stay in which ever country they are from and fight to make their country better. not be a dependent in another country,

[BgHagar]

If a man steals a watch and is caught does he get to keep the watch?  If he gives the watch to his son, does the son get to keep the watch?  What if the criminal sells the watch, does the buyer get to keep the watch? The answer to all these questions is no.  Nobody associated with a crime is allowed to profit from the illegal activity.

[alonglongway]

People seem to be disliking this simply because they disagree. Nothing to do with the quality or the arguments of the video.

[taintman]

The kids are victims of their parents, not the government... If anything it needs to be even more clear for potential immigrants that them doing so illegally could separate them from their children/families..

[jessig]

Sometimes I think U.S. should adopt all Latin America countries and become one but that's impossible due to the Latino governments not wanting to give up their corruption and power

[londongordon]

I fill so sad for all the children who have to go through this😢😢😟😟😭😭😖😿👎👎

[westower]

I am sympathetic, but much of the blame for this situation falls on her father for his deceit

[SuperMrCRAZYMAN]

It goes to show you that the US doesn't give damn how the kids feel when they lose their parents this way this system is fucked up.

[lordjedi]

It's not that we don't want the 14th amendment enforced, it's that we want it changed.  I will also dispute the argument that "anchor babies" ended in 1977.  The ability of the child to petition for their parents may have ended, but the children are considered citizens under the 14th amendment and then are "entitled" to free public education, seeing a doctor (even if it is in a hospital), reduced cost lunches, and who knows what else.  That is the problem with so-called "anchor babies".

[talker]

Nothing is stopping them from joing their father in his country of origin.

[NaturalhairBA]

Would be nice if more people would adopt these children to help the lady out. I sure would if I were in Miami.

[DerekCivilDefense]

Here's an idea: record the child's info and give the child a card that would enable the child to legally enter the US as a full citizen upon the age of 18.  Then kick the child out of the country with his/her father.

Borders exist for good reason and a country without borders is conquered territory.  If you want to reform immigration, make it easier for legal immigrants especially ones with higher skills and higher education to become citizens.  Kick out the invaders and welcome the patriots.

[ErikID]

I don't understand ReasonTV's argument that anchor babies were outlawed in 1977. This entire video is an argument that anchor babies should give permanent status!

[stretchyjim]

they have their boyfriend (not married) work under the table and the girlfriend draws welfare benefits.  they work the system.  very obvious if you live or work near them. most are very nice people. if they organized in mexico like they do here, they could take back their country from the cartels and corrupt government. i can tell they have pride in mexico maybe they dont have any hope for it to be better. it;s sad but enabling them to run is doing their future generations harm.