The American Dream,the promise of freedom, safety, and opportunity has become something unrecognizable. For many, it’s not a dream at all. It’s a nightmare playing out in real time.

Last night, I stayed up for hours not scrolling aimlessly, but researching case law, immigration policy, and federal court orders. As an aspiring attorney, I believe in the law. I also believe in justice. But what I found was neither.

Nascimento Blair resident of New York, was tricked into his deportation. He had been complaint with the system after an arrest over marijuana.

Marcelo Gomes is 18 years old. A high school student. No criminal record. No prior offenses. He entered the U.S. at the age of 6 yet he was detained.

Martin Garcia Laura is in the fourth grade. He’s a baby.He was attending an immigration status hearing. A child. Arrested and separated from his family.
How old were you in fourth grade?

As of June 6, 2025, a group of “immigrants” are being held inside a shipping container on a U.S. military base in Djibouti. These are individuals whose deportations was blocked by a federal court order, which was meant to protect them from torture. MEANING if these individuals go back home they could be murdered or become political prisoners.

But instead of honoring the order, the Trump administration rerouted them to a brutal limbo, refusing to bring them back. The inside of that container reaches temperatures over 100 degrees every day..

3,690 Nigerians are currently facing deportation. That’s the equivalent of the entire Uptown… if you know you know.

In Atlanta, ICE agents raided a nail salon and detained 12 workers again, no criminal records.

Here’s what’s more disturbing: many of these arrests are happening not during raids or criminal investigations, but when people are voluntarily engaging with the system.
Checking on their migrant status. Attending asylum hearings. Picking up their kids from school. Walking home from school. This isn’t immigration enforcement. This is targeted removal. It’s cruelty masked as policy.

Then there’s the case of Judge Hannah Dugan  who inquired over a. detention without a warrant. She followed the law. Not only did she not obstruct it she upheld it. But because of that, Trump’s officials had her arrested. Arrested. A sitting judge.

Let’s not forget Flores Ruiz. He was granted asylum. That should have meant safety. But even asylum didn’t protect him from being detained.

The framers never gave the federal government the right to restrict peaceful migration. The original immigration policy in this country was an open door one.

If we truly want to honor the values we claim to hold justice, liberty, due process we need something more than outrage. We need action. We need constitutional clarity:

“Neither the United States, nor any State, shall restrict immigration from nations with which the United States is not in a state of war, unless such restrictions are narrowly tailored to the advancement of a compelling government interest.”

I think a lot of “natural born” Americans don’t understand the gravity of leaving home not for vacation, not for a semester abroad but for survivals. We come here to work.

The chances of your average Dominican obtaining a visa are extremely slim. Roughly 30-40 % of the population live BELOW the proverty line, the number one requirement for most visa applicants is proof of income. For many low income Dominicans, providing bank statements, employment verification, or evidence of assets is simply impossible. Poverty doesn’t just limit opportunity it becomes a barrier to legal migration itself.

Political asylum is granted due to the violation of human rights.

President Nicolás Maduro has imprisoned political opponents, dismantled democracy, and silenced dissent with violence. He is on his third term and has been accused of inhumanity against his people.

Jamaicans don’t leave because they don’t love their country they leave because survival demands it. Whether it’s escaping violence, searching for work, or reuniting with family abroad, the choice to leave is rarely easy. It’s about sending hope home, not turning your back on it.

MEXICO what stood out to me the most is the increase of femicide , it rose at a almost 93.7% since 2015. While I stand with Claudia Sheinbaum and the promise of her historic presidency, the political climate, the safety, and the opportunities back home are simply not the same.

When we talk about migration, people often picture paradise: beaches in the Dominican Republic, colonial streets in Mexico, or lush valleys in Venezuela, the colorful cars in Cuba and the wonderful food/culture in Jamaica.

But those snapshots are for tourists. They’re not where locals live, and they don’t reflect the daily struggles that push families to leave. Behind the resorts and Airbnb listings are neighborhoods plagued by poverty, corruption, gender based violence, and the constant threat of state sanctioned harm.

And just so we’re clear immigrants cannot vote. To those who spread lies or turn their backs on our community, you’ve chosen ignorance over truth, and betrayal over solidarity.

I’ve had guilt wondering what more I could do, or if I was doing enough. I’ve had worry. And if you haven’t, I challenge you to remove your political labels for just a moment. Step back from your party lines and talking points. Because this isn’t about left or right , it’s about right and wrong.

This crisis is tearing families apart. It’s ripping children from their parents. It’s shattering homes, silencing dreams, and deporting people with nothing but the clothes on their backs. These are not strangers they are our neighbors. Our dads. Our moms. Our siblings. Our friends.

As a first generation immigrant, I am disturbed by what I see in our judicial system, but I am not broken by it. I am reminded now more than ever that I stand with my people. Always.