Deportation means death to a little girl

by Roger Sinasohn (Subscribe to Roger Sinasohn's posts) Aug 8th 2007 3:31PM

Categories: Babies, Toddlers, Pregnancy & Birth, Fun & Activities

Immigration is definitely a hot-button item these days. Personally, I don't get it so much -- my father came to this country as a boy in 1939; my mother's family came over a fair bit prior, but basically, almost all of us, really, are immigrants. Be that as it may, however, whatever your stand on the issue, you have to understand every parent's desire to give their children the best possible life they can.

So it was with Maria and Victor Roa, originally from Mexico. Twenty years ago, their home was a small cardboard house in Tijuana. In 1990, they crossed the border illegally to give their children new hope in a new country but are now facing deportation. This is not an uncommon story; what makes this unusual is the condition from which their eighteen-month-old daughter Hazelle suffers -- a thyroid deficiency and a narrow artery into her heart. This means, according to Dr. Stephen Wilson, medical director of inpatient pediatrics at UCSF, that "She'll need to undergo a diagnostic procedure every two years to evaluate the flow of the blood in her artery."

"Deportation is synonymous to a death sentence to us," said Maria Roa. "It's a terrorizing stress for the family." Hazelle is a U.S. citizen, having been born in the states. The family's attorney hopes that immigration officials will allow the case to be reviewed so that they will have a chance to stay together in the U.S. In the meantime, "we're going to continue life as normal," says Maria. "We'll keep fighting to stay, and we'll keep fighting for our daughter's life."

While I understand they did a naughty thing by coming to this country illegally, I have to wonder what happened to "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," and so on. I can't imagine the heartache they must be facing at having to leave the care that would keep their daughter alive.

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Comments (12)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

LS 8-08-2007 @ 4:42PM

I know I'm going to make a lot of enemies with this response, but...

The parents, Victor and Maria came to the U.S. illegally. Then, after having their application for assylum denied, they were informed - in 2004 - that they would have to leave the country. They broke the law AGAIN by staying, turning the request to leave into an order of deportation. And then they chose to have another child, even though they knew that they were already here illegally. At the very least, this child is an "anchor baby" - which many families use as their argument for staying: "My child is a citizen, you can't deport me because I need to care for the child". The anchor-baby law needs to be put to bed, since it served its purpose to eliminate slavery, and is now working against the country.

What isn't covered in any story that I found (and while I found several, all said essentially the same thing), was how this family is paying for the intricate medical procedures that their child has already, and will in future, undergo. Open-heart surgery is expensive on a one-time basis. The costs for repeating this surgery every two years until she is fully grown must be staggering. I'm guessing that a truck-driver's health insurance isn't footing the bill. Which means that taxpayers are.

I'm sorry to sound cold and unfeeling here, but this is the essence of the illegal-immigration problem in this country. People come here, break our laws, take advantage of our "tired, poor, troubled masses" philosophy, and then play the guilt card when we say, "no more".

I feel for this little girl and for her family. I really do. But I also realize that a society that doesn't follow its own laws soon falls into anarchy.

And as for The New Colossus ("Give me your tired" quote from the base of the Statue of Liberty), nobody seems to read all the way through to the last line: "I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door". A door. A door that can, and should be closed, and open to those who knock and ask permission for entry.

Yes, this family is in anguish. I'm sorry for that. But it comes down to this: if I break the law, I must pay the price, regardless of the effect it has on my family. Why is there a double standard for those breaking citizenship laws?

nicolebarber 8-08-2007 @ 5:18PM

Due the circumstance the baby is an American citizen regardless of parents being illegal. Born in America she should stay in America and receive the wonderful health care of public aide
insurance has to offer. Send her parents back to the hell hole with this innocent child or give them the option to place her in foster care or Legal resident family members here. This situation sucks and the system here sucks some days. Because in the end America isn't what it stands for and a little girl loses her American dream.

SKL 8-08-2007 @ 5:36PM

The child is a citizen and deserves every benefit that any other citizen child receives from our government. If that includes healthcare (assuming she is indigent), so be it. That is our law.

The parents knowingly broke the law, so I really don't feel the US let them down. That said, I don't blame them for requesting an exception. After all, the US does grant some exceptions for compassionate reasons. And I can understand the family's distress.

Hopefully, one way or another, the family can soon start the legal process of immigrating to the US. Hopefully they have not made this impossible by refusing to leave when asked previously. Alternatively, maybe they have a relative in the US who can care for the child when they go back. Or maybe there is some hope for them to get the needed treatment in Mexico. I don't know. But there has to be some respect for the law - we really can't afford for the immigration laws to be completely disregarded.

Lisa 8-08-2007 @ 5:49PM

According to Michael Moore and Democrats, socialized medicine is the way to go, so she should be just fine in Mexico.

SKL 8-08-2007 @ 6:42PM

Yeah, Lisa - or maybe Cuba would take them in.

Michelle 8-08-2007 @ 7:34PM

I'm sorry as well. But that's true. They are here illegally. If their baby is a US citizen, that's fine. However, the parents still need to leave the country. Since the baby needs recurring evaluations every two years, perhaps the parents can go through legal channels to enter the country temporarily at that time. It shouldn't be hard to come and visit since their daughter is a US citizen.

Karen 8-08-2007 @ 9:31PM

At some point we are going to have to realize that people are not ENTITLED to UNLIMITED health care. Yes, people are entitled to basic health care, but there is just no way to sustain unlimited health care for everyone. Some of these treatments run into the millions of dollars. It just isn't possible.

Having said that, under current law the child is a citizen and should receive whatever care we offer the indigent. Her parents however, need to be deported. The child will have to become a ward of the state unless a legal resident is willing to take care of her.

nicolebarber 8-08-2007 @ 10:36PM

didn't Michael more commit a crime taking works over to Cuba or something illegally?

baby toytown 8-09-2007 @ 3:55AM

You know the immigration laws and issues baffle me. I know that it strengthened its course mostly because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but other than that reason I couldn't comprehend as to why a country that are mostly made up of immigrants would want to kick people out of their country.

I hope the little girl and her family would find a great solution, specially since her health is quite fragile.

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Jessi 8-09-2007 @ 7:15AM

I don't want to sound cold, but the parents came illegally... My husband and his family went through the process of LEGALLY coming into the United States and 6 years later they are now US Citizens. It was not that hard and I hate seeing people illegally coming in and getting sympathy when my husband worked hard. I feel for the girl, please don't get me wrong. As a mother, my heart breaks. But the mother would not be in this situation if she just came over legally. If she truly wanted to do what's right for the girl, leave the girl with a family or trusted friend in the states until the treatment is over, then send for her little girl or work on coming back to the US legally. It angers me when I see all these illegal immigrants come and take advantage of our medicine on our tax dollars. Being illegal, she didn't have to pay taxes. Give me your tired and your poor is for those who come to our country with full intent to become a legal alien or US Citizen. I wish the girl best of luck. I really hope that they have a trusted friend or family that can keep her for the treatment.

kate 8-10-2007 @ 11:50AM

I doubt that for this family the initial move was a question of "legal" or "illegal" entry. My guess is, the options were more along the lines of "watch kids starve in cardboard shack/be killed in border drug war" or "wade a river and give them everything we can in America."

It would not be a tough choice for me. It is such a blessing that America is forced to confront this debate again and again- it's because we DO have the resources, the medical care, the jobs, the freedoms that immigrants have always left their homes for. If my kids were starving, and a rich person next to me had bread, I would ask for it. And if the answer was, fill out this paperwork, get in line, we'll process your application in 3-5 years, I'd probably try to steal it. Just like I'd run a red light on the way to the hospital if they were hurt.

Robert Wagner 8-21-2007 @ 10:06PM

The entire immigration arguement seems to downplay the illegal part as "naughty". What about all of our ancestors who waited, went through all the legal requirements and learned to speak English? Certainly we can feel for these people who want a better way of life for themselves and their families. What about all those who are waiting years to legally come to this country? Just as we can't police the world, we can't provide homes, medical care and jobs for the world. More power to our legal immigrants. Deport the illegals and tell them to get in line behind the legals.

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