Utah immigrant families experience 'temporary relief'


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SALT LAKE CITY — As a parent of four U.S. citizens but not one herself, Suyin Chong works to ensure her children live up to every opportunity available to them.

That means more than just sending her kids to school each day. For Chong, it means volunteering where her kids go to school and getting involved in the community, despite having to stand on unsure footing while living in the U.S. illegally.

"You have to be there for your kids if you want to raise better citizens," Chong said. "My husband and I, we get involved in our community, trying to help, trying to build a better place for them."

Chong came to the U.S. from Mexico 15 years ago on a tourist visa. She has since married, had children and made a home for her family in Salt Lake City. Still, the family has lived each day with the possibility of Chong's deportation.

But President Barack Obama's announcement Thursday to take executive action on immigration policy, promising temporary protection from deportation for parents of U.S. citizens, brought a sigh of relief for Chong and her family.

The family stood among a small crowd Friday on the front steps of the state Capitol to celebrate the opportunities afforded to a portion of Utah immigrants through the executive action.

"I'm a voice for a lot of families who are in our same situation," Chong said. "I want to say, we made it. This is something huge for us."

The celebration took a cautiously optimistic tone as leaders of community organizations cited the uncertainty that still lies ahead for upward of 100,000 immigrants living in Utah illegally.


I had a student tell me this morning that she doesn't have to be afraid anymore that they're going to come and take her mother away. While it is a temporary relief and something we hope will be extended further in the future, for now there are a lot of happy people in our city.

–Jennifer Mayer-Glenn, president of the Utah Coalition of La Raza


Jennifer Mayer-Glenn, who serves as president of the Utah Coalition of La Raza, also works at a school in Salt Lake City. She said families there are overjoyed with the immediate prospect of staying together, even though future years remain uncertain.

"I had a student tell me this morning that she doesn't have to be afraid anymore that they're going to come and take her mother away," Mayer-Glenn said at Friday's gathering. "While it is a temporary relief and something we hope will be extended further in the future, for now there are a lot of happy people in our city."

Not all, however, feel cause to celebrate.

Mark Alvarez, an attorney and immigration specialist, cited estimates from the Pew Research Center that roughly 38 percent of immigrants living stateside unlawfully have children born in the U.S. Some of those immigrants, however, are disqualified from the executive action due to criminal records.

"Clearly, two-thirds of the undocumented population, roughly, is not covered," Alvarez said. That includes Utah.

He expressed disappointment for those immigrants in the state not eligible for executive action, but who work and contribute to key sectors of Utah's economy, including agriculture, construction, hospitality and the ski industry.

"This is a good first step toward a better functioning immigration system, but much more remains to be done," he said. "We should never forget those human beings, the millions of stories of people who will not be participating in this executive action."

Melanie Torres and her son, Diego, 13, attend a press conference about President Barack Obama’s new immigration executive order at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 21, 2014. (Photo: Laura Seitz, Deseret News)
Melanie Torres and her son, Diego, 13, attend a press conference about President Barack Obama’s new immigration executive order at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 21, 2014. (Photo: Laura Seitz, Deseret News)

Ella Mendoza's story began 12 years ago. She came to the U.S. from Lima, Peru, with her family and has been able to stay through multiple applications of deferred action.

Mendoza, now 24, attends Weber State University and teaches preschool through the Salt Lake Dream Team, a nonprofit organization for youths who have come to the U.S. unlawfully.

As one who works with children who aren't born in the U.S., Thursday's announcement from the White House brought mixed feelings for Mendoza.

"At first, I felt very hopeful because I thought a few of our cases with Salt Lake Dream Team might qualify," she said. "When I actually realized that some of them might not, I just felt this big letdown. This is good for a few, not good for many."

As Mendoza prepares for a third time to submit an application for deferred action, she looks for hope for herself and for her students by "fighting" and "marching" for the chance to stay.

"These issues affect me directly," she said. "I have 24 beautiful little children waiting for me who I will see Monday. … But what happens to those children when I'm gone? What happens to those children if I'm deported?"

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