JAMIL

"I know what it feels like to be separated from your parents."

Hi, my name is Jamil and I'm 17 years old. My childhood was pretty chill and normal. I was a big mama's boy, my mom used to do everything for me. Unfortunately, that day hit when it changed. I would notice that my dad wouldn't come home. I would imagine him working hard as he usually did, but now he would just not come home. So I started asking my mom and family members. They wouldn't tell me anything - until they had to when the day came and my mom had to go to court. She got an order of deportation. That's when my family broke down crying. I remember as a nine-year-old kid seeing everything I lived through as a child getting shoved into suitcases. I would wake up in the middle of the night and I would start shaking and say, "I don't want to go to Honduras. I don't want to go to Honduras. Please don't take me. Don't take me." My first day in Honduras, we landed and met with family. In the first few months, I saw people getting killed by gangs. I remember getting attacked multiple times, we got jumped, we got robbed. I remember they put a knife to my sister's throat. I am the only US citizen in my family. My family and I decided it was safer for me to be in the US. I came back to America, and I live with my aunt and cousin. I had to learn to not live with my parents. It was extremely tough, but I still am grateful to be in this country. I've been getting cool opportunities to go to rallies, and meet with lawmakers in DC. I've been able to share my story. I know what it feels like to be separated from your parents. I would say to people that they should cherish every moment they have with their family because you don't know if it will be the last time you'll see them. Watching families get separated at the border has been very painful for me, and it makes me wish that I were old enough to vote to impact policies like that. So, I'm asking you to promise to vote on my behalf.