Trump impact in my rural area. Local meat producer loses key staff ahead of Trump reign.

[Cirsium]

18. Going home

Experiencing Holidays As Immigrants

Traveling outside the United States can be difficult for many immigrants, especially those navigating legal or financial barriers. It’s natural to feel the desire to reunite with loved ones, and when that isn’t possible, it’s important to acknowledge these limitations and find healthy ways to cope with the frustration. Attending faith-based services or other community events can provide a sense of connection and comfort.

In general, it is not recommended to leave the country during the immigration process, but if it is a case of force majeure and you are waiting for the Green Card, you can ask for a permit from USCIS. This permit is called Emergency Advanced Parole, and its approval depends exclusively on the decision of the immigration agent. Asylum or TPS (Temporary Protected Status) applicants can technically apply for Emergency Advanced Parole. However, they should not travel back to their home country as that undercuts their claim for Asylum and TPS.

If you are undocumented, unfortunately you cannot leave the country. According to the law, a stay in the United States as an undocumented person of more than 180 days translates into three years without being able to enter the country, while a stay as an undocumented person of one year or more would imply a ban on entry to the United States for ten years.

https://iilosangeles.org/experiencing-holidays-as-immigrants/

Undocumented Immigrants Never Go Home For The Holidays

For many, Christmas is a time for holiday songs, presents, family feasts and sacred ceremonies. But it also can be a painful reminder for some that they can’t go home for the holidays — or perhaps ever. So said Beatriz Cruz, who works with Parenting Communities in Michigan. Cruz is an advocate for Hispanic families and makes home visits to to families, although the number has been as high as 37 when her agency’s funding was higher. She doesn’t ask about the families’ legal status, but some talk about not being able to go home. “I ask them, ‘What would you do if your parents fell ill or passed away?’ They tell me, ‘We came to this country knowing we might never see them again.’ I can’t imagine that,” she said. “It’s not like they’re coming here not knowing what they’ll go through. Maybe the knowing helps them a little bit, leaving everything behind and never returning.” Cruz knows firsthand what they go through. Before her husband gained legal status, he couldn’t return to Mexico for five years, she said.

https://ctlatinonews.com/undocumented-immigrants-never-go-home-for-the-holidays/

Many immigrants won't be going home for the holidays

For many Mexican immigrants living in the United States, the holidays have come to represent a time of sadness. Separated by a border that has become harder and harder to cross, many immigrants must make the agonizing choice between staying away from family south of the border or risk not being able to return to their jobs here.

This holiday, as we sit down to eat our feast with family, it would behoove us as a nation to remember that some of the food on our table was put there by immigrant workers who cannot go home.

https://progressive.org/latest/many-immigrants-going-home-holidays/