By Abbey Puerta
Today, January 29th, 2021, I am 39 weeks pregnant.
I truly thought that Alejandro would be by my side in the hospital room when our son was born. It may have been overly optimistic, but I thought that the USCIS would make my family’s dream come true.
Now we are one week away from our baby’s due date, and I’m in the U.S., but Alejandro is still in Peru. I have spent countless hours on the phone with the USCIS – I have called their office more than 40 times in December and January alone. I have begged and I have pleaded with each agent or Immigration officer who picks up the phone to do everything in their power to help my family. Some immigration officers have attempted to support us, but two of them actually hung up on me. I have made 11 visa expedite requests – all of them have been denied.
Alejandro has gone to the US Embassy in Lima multiple times, sent emails and made phone calls from Peru. We have not seen any forward progress with his visa.
I am starting to understand what MANY families have felt for years – families separated simply because they don’t all have the same paperwork from the U.S. government. It is heart-wrenching not to be able to be together. But like many other families, we are holding onto hope.
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Something New loves to see families together. Abbey and Alejandro, the families in the Hope House in Lima, and the thousands of families who have been locked out of the U.S. due to misinformation and a severe departure from the core values of the United States. We are so hopeful for what is ahead.
