Patricia Rojas, 25, discovered this month that she had to move to Mexico despite having lived legally in the United States since she was four months old. Unlike many immigrants, Rojas has never known another country as home. She is part of a group known as "Documented Dreamers," children who arrived lawfully but face deportation because their parents did not secure permanent residency before they turned 21.
Rojas's father entered the U.S. on an E-2 visa, which permits certain foreign entrepreneurs to establish businesses. However, Rojas aged out of the system when she turned 21. She also failed to win the H-1B visa lottery after three attempts, the maximum allowed.
In a New York Times essay published on the same day, Rojas reflected, "Had I been born after my family relocated, like both of my younger siblings, I would be an American citizen today."
The issue affects approximately 250,000 individuals like Rojas. Legislative efforts such as the proposed "America's Children Act" aim to address this by prioritizing permanent residency for children of legal immigrants, ensuring they do not face deportation upon turning 21.
The ongoing debate over birthright citizenship also weighs heavily on Rojas, highlighting the complexities faced by documented immigrants who grew up in the U.S.
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