Today is the day. Today is the day you are finally going to see your parents for the first time in years. Even if it is for only three minutes or four, you know that that is enough time to hug them and tell them how much you love and miss them. That is the case for many families living in border towns like El Paso, Texas. Border Network for Human Rights, a non-profit organization in El Paso, started an event that made this possible for many people living in surrounding areas.
When President Trump took office in 2017, he reversed many, if not all, of President Obama’s executive orders on immigration. He used his executive powers to end immigration policies like DACA and DAPA. He also ordered the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants.1 Trump issued the renewal of the Secure Communities program, which increased the backlogs in deportation hearings, making it more difficult for undocumented immigrants to move forward in their process to obtain a green card.2 Three years ago, in January, President Trump doubled down on his promise to build a wall along the southern border by signing an executive order, which created a lot of anxiety and uncertainty for many living in border towns.3
The Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR), took it upon themselves to try to ease some of the anxiety that families from the border face every day. The annual event Hugs not Walls brings families together from the United States and Mexico that have not seen each other in a long time due to the broken immigration system.4 The event of thousands of people is “an event of humanity and love,” stated the executive director of BNHR, Fernando Garcia. “This primary goal is to bring together those families that have been separated, but it’s important to say that also it is an act of protest – because we need to bring attention to those families that have been in detention, deported and separated of their family members.”5 Technically, no one is breaking the law here because no one is crossing either side of the border; they are staying right in the middle of the river, which has no water running and has only dirt and mud, without giving each other anything.
A twenty-four-year old woman, who gave the name “Debora” due to confidentiality because she and her family came to the United States undocumented, has not seen her sister Gloria in a decade, since she was caught by border police and deported. Gloria also has a now fifteen-year-old daughter that made it to the U.S., but has not seen her since. The sisters only live seven miles away from each other, but the U.S.-Mexico border is the obstacle that keeps them from seeing each other. Debora states that it is truly tough knowing that it is just a fence across the street that keeps her away from her family.6 Ruby Almaraz drove from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to have a chance to see and hug her father for the first time in twenty-three years, since he was deported when she was only a baby. Ruby drove twelve hours along with her mother, sister, and her seven-year-old daughter, so her father can meet his granddaughter for the first time.7 The Jaimes family from Las Cruces, New Mexico, traveled to El Paso to reunite with their grandparents. The Jaimes’ elders were deported two years prior to the event and now their grandchildren get to see them once every six months, which has been really rough for them, since they were all very close. The deportation really tore them apart, stated one of the grandchildren.8
The much anticipated day had arrived. Families waited in line along the river to meet with their family members across the border. Those members on the Mexican side were wearing the white t-shirts given to them and those on the U.S. side were wearing the blue t-shirts. Debora, along with other family members, embraced her sister, aunts, and uncles as tears flowed down their faces and for those four minutes, her family was complete again.9 Ruby finally embraced her father across the yellow caution tape that was used to signify the border line. They barely had enough time to say they missed each other and that they wish that one day they’ll be all together again.10 The Jaimes’ grandmother was overwhelmed with happiness and sobbed as she hugged her grandchildren. “This is something big, something I never thought would happen,” said Grandma Jaimes speaking in Spanish. “I am very grateful to the people involved who allowed us to do this and give each other a hug.”11
Due to the building of the wall along the border, the event was forced to be moved to a dirt road several miles to the northwest from its previous location in 2018. Garcia stated that this was more symbolic than ever because these families are overcoming these walls, by hugging.12 This only goes to show how President Trump’s policies are affecting negatively these communities and their people. The border wall and recent policy proposals focused on the border are not long-term solutions. They are a symbol of our country’s failure to resolve the issue of undocumented immigration, that could be dealt with by a comprehensive immigration reform.13
- Michael C. LeMay, Immigration Reform: A Reference Handbook (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2019), 80. ↵
- Michael C. LeMay, Immigration Reform: A Reference Handbook (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2019), 81. ↵
- Michelle Kessel, Robert Zepeda, and Lauren Effron, “Families separated by US-Mexico border embrace in emotional ‘hugs not walls’ 4-minute reunions,” February 2017, ABC News Online (website), https://abcnews.go.com/US/families-separated-us-mexico-border-embrace-emotional-hugs/story?id=45205124. ↵
- “HUGS NOT WALLS,” Border Network for Human Rights (website), https://bnhr.org/hugs-not-walls-stories-of-family-reunification/. ↵
- Michelle Kessel, Robert Zepeda, and Lauren Effron, “Families separated by US-Mexico border embrace in emotional ‘hugs not walls’ 4-minute reunions,” February 2017, ABC News Online (website), https://abcnews.go.com/US/families-separated-us-mexico-border-embrace-emotional-hugs/story?id=45205124. ↵
- Michelle Kessel, Robert Zepeda, and Lauren Effron, “Families separated by US-Mexico border embrace in emotional ‘hugs not walls’ 4-minute reunions,” February 2017, ABC News Online (website), https://abcnews.go.com/US/families-separated-us-mexico-border-embrace-emotional-hugs/story?id=45205124. ↵
- Brittny Mejia, “Organizers call for ‘Hugs Not Walls,’ even as they are displaced by the border wall construction,” Los Angeles Times Online (website), October 13, 2018, https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-families-wall-20181013-story.html. ↵
- Ray Bogan, “Hugs Not Walls: Families divided by the U.S.-Mexico border get 4 minutes to reunite,” November 2016, Fox News Online (website), https://www.foxnews.com/world/hugs-not-walls-families-divided-by-the-u-s-mexico-border-get-4-minutes-to-reunite. ↵
- Michelle Kessel, Robert Zepeda, and Lauren Effron, “Families separated by US-Mexico border embrace in emotional ‘hugs not walls’ 4-minute reunions,” February 2017, ABC News Online (website), https://abcnews.go.com/US/families-separated-us-mexico-border-embrace-emotional-hugs/story?id=45205124. ↵
- Brittny Mejia, “Organizers call for ‘Hugs Not Walls,’ even as they are displaced by the border wall construction,” Los Angeles Times Online (website), October 13, 2018, https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-families-wall-20181013-story.html. ↵
- Ray Bogan, “Hugs Not Walls: Families divided by the U.S.-Mexico border get 4 minutes to reunite,” November 2016, Fox News Online (website), https://www.foxnews.com/world/hugs-not-walls-families-divided-by-the-u-s-mexico-border-get-4-minutes-to-reunite. ↵
- Brittny Mejia, “Organizers call for ‘Hugs Not Walls,’ even as they are displaced by the border wall construction,” Los Angeles Times Online (website), October 13, 2018, https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-families-wall-20181013-story.html. ↵
- The Impacts of Trump Policies on Border Communities : Hearing before the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, April 30, 2019. 2019. U.S. Government Publishing Office, https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=829004, 14. ↵
33 comments
James Davis
Wow, what a touching and beautiful thing. I can only imagine the feelings of not seeing someone for so long and finally being able to just look at them in person. To hug them, to hold them, even for just mere minutes can be beautiful and touching. However; it is not enough. It is such a shame that all of that information is backlogged which is making it harder to receive a green card. It makes me so sad to know how hard it is to come into the country which was founded on immigrants. This once great melting pot has become divided by hate.
Angela Perez
This article highlights such a pure event that reunites family for three minutes. The attached trailer video was so heartbreaking yet full of hope that one day they would all be reunited. Coming from a border region, I have personally seen the tearing apart of families that the wall has done. The testimonies add to this article by giving a name to the situation. Once you meet someone who has been deported for simply wanting a better and safer life, your whole perspective changes.
Jakob Trevino
It is sad to say that these families are going through a tough process that separates themselves from each other because of politics. I have no idea why Trump has this clean idea that by building a wall it will suffice the amount of “bad immigrants” that come to the United States. He is blind in the idea that most of these families are escaping violence in their own country and want the chance at a better life. By reversing some of the policies Obama had put into place, he is sending back immigrants who might end up killed or injured because of their escaping or refuge.
Andres Garcia
It’s truly heartbreaking to see and read about the hardships of thousands of families as a result of man-made constructs. I find it unfathomable that we, as human beings, have caused trauma to our own brothers and sisters in the name of safety. What we see here is a violation of human rights and while this event restores my faith in humanity, it shouldn’t even have to be an event if politicians practiced what they preached and brought about reform to the immigration system.
Andrew Gallegos
it’s very heartbreaking how so many families are being separate from each other. How they can only see each other for about 3 mintunes. But now since Donald Trump became president he is making excuctive orders to keep immigrants out for good. To build a wall to offically have them out. It’s so depressing how kids are being taken away from there parents. How now in days Trump is making it harder for immigrants to recieve a green card. We should all take caution about this and see how so many people are hurting and being torn apart.
Kayla Sultemeier
This article was truly heart breaking. I feel like this only emphasizes the major issues that we face in America. However, the major one that I think that must be addressed in this circumstance is the way that we treat our border with Mexico. Why don’t we treat our other border this way? It is truthfully coming from the racial beliefs that so many Americans and Trump all hold. Purely because of this hate, we have families being pulled apart, and driving cross-country for a four minute conversation with their loved ones and it is truly heartbreaking that so many of them have to live a life of oppression due to the ignorant opinions of others.
Caroline Bush
Great article Eliane! Before reading this article I had not heard of this organization but after reading I am so grateful for the work they are doing. I could not imagine only being able to talk to my family for only about four minutes after being separated for years, this is not only an inhumane practice but a cruel one as well. Politics is a messy business but in no way should it be acceptable to separate children from their parents at the end of the day everyone is human and therefore should be treated as such.
Eric Grant
Elaine, this article was eye-opening and saddening (even from someone who is from a border town). The Border Network for Human Rights is doing a great thing here by highlighting the traumas and horrors that go along with deporting one from one’s family. The anti-immigrant sentiments echoed throughout the country and re-inforced by our president, unfortunately, do not lend itself to hearing the personal narratives of some of these people who just come here to work and create a better life for themselves.
Maya Simon
We deal with a lot of political issues in this world to separate people from there families is the harshest thing I could ever think of. Imagine only being able to hug your family member for only three to four minutes after you have not seen them in years. Trump is not a good president why would you order families to separate and detain undocumented immigrants I do not see an issue with them being in this country. I hope everyone gets reunited with there family members. This was a great article and brought light to a situation I really didn’t know to much about.
Shriji Lalji
In every election immigration policy is of utmost concern. The current administration has a much stricter immigration policy which is unfortunate because it affects many families negatively. Although the immigration system makes it very difficult for those seeking citizenship or visa, it is always a risk to enter a country undocumented. It is nice to see families who have been separated still have the rare chance to hug their loved ones.