My fiancé, father of my 5 year old son, and step father of my 3 children from a previous marriage were picked up for a traffic violation and served almost a year in prison and then deported a little over a year ago to Mexico. His situation is like so many others and seems like such a harsh punishment that severely affects families!

His family migrated to the U.S when he was 1 year old and has lived here as permanent residents working and paying taxes for 30+ years. At the age of 17 my finance made poor choices and was sent to prison to do some time. They revoked his green card after he served his time for the crime and deported him at the age of 21. He went to stay with his grandfather in a very rural part of Mexico and couldn’t even speak fluent Spanish.

The cultural difference and living conditions are very different from how an individual is raised and accustomed to in the U.S. The language barrier being placed in another country where you have none of your immediate family or friends is very difficult to adapt to. So a desperate young man made his way back “home” to his father, mother, brother, sisters, cousins, friends, and daughter. He had been home more than a year at the time he was picked up resulting in a 10 year Barr. We have been ripped off by immigration lawyers giving us false hope that we could bring him home when in fact the Barr makes that impossible. 10 years!

Our son will be 15 before he can live a fully rounded life and have his father here with him. My daughter will be 15 in two years and we will be celebrating her quince and he cannot be here. It is very important for a girl to have her father (step father) a part of that. He is supposed to change her flats to high heals in the ceremony and won’t be here. Her biological father has chosen to not be in her life. This barr greatly affects the well being of our family!

My youngest son doesn’t understand why his daddy has to be dropped off at the inside of the border to stay behind as we continue to drive through. “Why can’t daddy come home with us mommy”, he asks. “I want daddy to come home mommy, Why do I always have to talk to daddy on the phone, I want to give him a hug”. America!  This is NOT healthy for our children! This is causing psychological turmoil! Something has to be done.

The Barrs are too severe of a punishment! More severe then the crime! I feel hopeless and depressed at times just yearning for my fiancé to come home! I want to share my story as much as possible and bring this to peoples attention! Families need to be reunited!

To stand with Shannon’s family, text “Justice” or “justicia” to 69866 and learn more about how we can Keep Families Together.