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Child Separation Hits Close To Home For Elgin Organizer

Lorie Shaull
Photo taken November 15. 2016, in Washington D.C.

Demonstrations are planned across the country Saturday. They’re meant to show solidarity and support for families and children affected by recent immigration policy at the southern border. 

The stories of families who have been separated during their immigration journey hit especially close to the heart of Elgin resident Jose Alfonso Villalobos.

“When I was young, back in the 80’s, my mother was taken by immigration from us in the middle of the day,” Villalobos said.

Villalobos says his mother was sent alone back across the southern border.

“It was very dangerous for her to come back because she crossed through McAllen, Texas, which is where one of the current detention centers is,” he said.

He said his mother greatly feared being captured if she walked across the bridge of entry, so she hired a coyote. That’s a person hired to help people cross the border. She crossed the Rio Grande on an inner tube.

“She fell through her inner tube and she was pregnant at the time with my younger brother. And, you know, at the last minute, she was grabbed by the coyote and they got the inner tube back on her, they managed to cross safely, and she managed to get back to us here in Elgin, you know? So knowing that all that had happened to her, we couldn’t just sit by and not do something,” he said.

Villalobos is an organizer of a rally in Elgin scheduled for Saturday morning. He’s also a member of Progressives of Kane County, which is a group of local activists. He’ll be speaking at the event, along with State Representative Anna Moeller (D - Elgin). 

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order that would end family separations. A California federal judge ordered earlier this week that the administration must stop separations and reunify families within thirty days, less if the child is younger. Advocates who have been trying to reunify families say the process of reunification could prove complicated.

Despite recent orders about reunification, Villalobos wants to take it one step further. He said he wants to see a complete reversal on immigration status granting.

“I know some people might call me foolish for saying this, but what I would like to see is just full amnesty. My parents got it back in the 80’s and I know some people might tell me that’ll never happen,” Villalobos said.

Villalobos knows that there are varied opinions on how to control the border, but he hopes Saturday’s rally will encourage political activity in the future.

“I want to let people know how to run for office and about how to let immigrants here know what their rights are,” he said.

Weekend marches also are planned in Rockford and Chicago.

 

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