ABILENE, TX — An 18-year-old in Abilene, who asked KTXS not to share his name, still struggles with what he saw as a child.
“Some of my family was killed,” he said.
Exclusive: Abilene teen shares his journey to the U.S. after years trying for green card.
Gang violence in Central America forced the teen and his family to run from their home country.
“You try to run from stuff but they still find you, most people are not going to understand what we go through in our country,” he said.
The 18-year-old came to the U.S. at the age of 13 on a green card.
The process started before he was born.
“People say do it the right way, what is the right way?” the teen asked.
He worries about being pulled over by police.
His family has struggled for years working low-wage jobs.
Finding housing can even be a struggle.
He had to drop out of Cooper High to work and pay rent.
“I’ve got a lot of family that don’t have papers, they are still here and I have family that has green cards and they got sent back,” he shared.
Causes of Migration
The U.S.-Mexico border has changed over the years.
In the past, 90% of crossings were by single, adult Hispanic men looking for work in the U.S.
Now, more and more migrants who show up at the border are families seeking refuge.
This is because of violence, corruption, and inadequate educational opportunities.
The US Citizenship Act of 2021
President Biden introduced the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 his first day in office.
The bill provides aid to Central America to “address root causes of migration.”
