Full families challenge U.S.-Mexico border with mass reentry

Families who have been deported and are now returning to the United States during a mass border crossing rally at the U.S.-Mexico wall. (Flickr/Steve Pavey 2014)

In response, today migrant families are making history of their own.

This afternoon, 250 migrants who have lived in the U.S. most of their lives are attempting to reenter the United states after being deported. Many entire families are returning, while others are coming to rejoin family members still living in the United States. The group is chanting “undocumented and unafraid” as they cross through the U.S. portal that separates Tijuana from San Diego. This action, part of the #not1more campaign, marks the third mass border crossing organized by the National Immigrant Youth Alliance.The action comes as immigrant justice groups are increasingly moving beyond advocating for legislative reform and are instead turning to direct action to protest the record deportations. The Alliance says that these actions are calling attention to the immigration crisis and the way millions of families are separated by an arbitrary boarder.

Last year, 150,000 U.S.- born children were separated from at least one parent. The majority were under the age of 10. One of these stories is that of Manuel, who spent 10 years living in Ohio with his U.S.-born children and wife. According to the NIYA Facebook page, “Manuel was placed in deportation proceeding after he hired an immigration attorney who he later found out was a fraud.”

All 250 families participating in today’s action have lived in the United States for a large portion of their lives, creating homes and community in this country.