Last month, my wife and I made an extended journey (8 cities, 54 days) through Mexico. The map covers a bit of it. We had never been there and with all the BS and hoopla, we felt it was time to see it first hand. We’ve visited other Latin American countries … but not Mexico. Short take — a wonderfully diverse and sophisticated country … with joys and problems galore.
But we had a second agenda.
One of the icons of our small Atlanta community is a beloved, free-cussing curmudgeon (call him Roger) who designs and installs extraordinary home features. Roger has worked for the Who’s Who of Atlanta and elsewhere. Recently, Roger had health issues and relied more and more on his foreman of the past 20 years … call him Hernando. Roger is confident that Hernando can do every aspect of Roger’s business.
Hernando arrived 20+ years ago undocumented and has tried to get straight with immigration for at least 15 years. Meanwhile, he married an American and has 3 great kids … 7 to 12 years old and all American citizens. They own a small home outright in one of the rising areas of Atlanta.
Hernando went back to Mexico last summer, only to find that ICE wouldn’t let him back into the US. He once lied to them about his reasons for a visit to Mexico when his mother was dying. Otherwise, his record is clean as driven snow. He is hoping his appeal will be heard this summer, but no one is super optimistic.
Hernando and his family face the prospect that they might have to move to Mexico to be together.
Roger views Hernando as the son he never had. Roger was crying when he asked me to visit Hernando to see how he is doing. The location in central Mexico lined up with our itinerary, so I agreed.
Hernando and I met for lunch. He is understandably somewhat adrift, but he is beginning to seriously consider a future in Mexico if his appeals fail.
His skills are undeniable, but all of his pedigree and work history (for Roger) are in the US (mostly in Atlanta). It isn’t well documented because he wasn’t well documented … and he has absolutely no professional history in Mexico.
The idea that Hernando and I discussed is that I and my neighbors can help Roger (who is energy-challenged) to assemble an Atlanta project dossier and work history that Hernando can use to bridge the chasm. A book (really a website) that shows Hernando’s accomplishments. Photos of job sites. Letters of recommendation. Testimonials from clients. Roger has a drawer of old client business cards. We will try to contact and get them to attest to Hernando’s qualities, since they mostly dealt with Hernando anyway.
Several of my neighbors are in real estate and some others run AirBnB’s. We are offering to look at his house in Atlanta and see if we can help him and his wife maximize its value … either dress it up for sale or set it up for AirBnB … a nest egg to restart or a nice (especially for Mexico) income.
I used to be a university professor so we discussed his kids education. I track Mexican expat blogs and they say good things about some of the Mexican schools … mostly private schools, but some public ones in certain cities. Hernando and his wife would need to be careful where they locate, but the kids should be able to get a solid foundation. Currently, all of the kids aspire to professional jobs, so college is a key consideration after high school (or possibly Bachelors) from the Mexican education system.
But ... they are US citizens. If they have good grades and apply to an American college, they should be well prized. Bi-lingual, bi-cultural, proven adaptable, and totally legal. My recommended ideal would be to get an undergraduate degree in Mexico … then a Master’s degree here. That would save a ton of money relative to staying in the US …. and the education may be better overall.
In the end, it’s a brutal dilemma. I hate even considering a Plan B. The slightest reduction in pressure for a fair resolution seems like cowardice. I talked and ate with DACA kids at Netroots last summer. It guts me to even think about outcomes other than the fair and rational one.
But if there is no breakthrough, many fine people in America will need Plan B. Hernando is too old for DACA. Even a miracle agreement might leave him out.
If Hernando must ultimately relocate, there’s no time to waste. Good preparations will take time.
I would be interested in other experiences and ideas (in the comments?). What else can we do for Hernando? Is there a way to help others in need, yet keep the pressure white hot?