The Hardships of Immigrant Families in the U.S.
Last month in Detroit, federal immigration agents raided the home of sixteen-year-old Kerly Sosa Rivero, startling her from sleep with guns drawn. Mistaken for another migrant, Kerly and her family, all seeking asylum from Venezuela, were detained despite impending court dates for their asylum pleas. This incident is part of the Trump administration’s intensified deportation efforts, ensnaring individuals who were previously considered low-priority cases.
Angélica Rivero, Kerly’s mother, expressed her distress, stating, “My daughter has so many dreams. She wants to learn English and go to university. They treated her like a criminal.”
Kerly, alongside her cousin Antony, both students at Western International High School, are currently held at the South Texas Family Residential Center. Efforts are underway by their attorney to have them released to attend their upcoming asylum hearings in Detroit. Another student from the same school, Mor Ba, a 19-year-old from Senegal, was also detained by ICE while seeking asylum and is being held at the North Lake Correctional Facility.
A protest in Detroit demanded the release of these three teens, prompting students to call out the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) to denounce the arrests publicly and enhance the district’s sanctuary school policy. However, district officials have not responded to requests for comment on this matter.
The Journey to a New Home
Kerly’s family fled Venezuela to Colombia to escape food shortages and political oppression when she was in elementary school. After years in Bogotá, her father decided to seek better opportunities in the U.S., leaving behind Kerly’s mother and siblings in Colombia. Their arduous three-month journey through the perilous Darién Gap brought them to the U.S. without legal authorization in the summer of 2023.
