It’s the opposite of the Elvira Arellano case. Jonathan Martínez came from El Salvador at age 8 with a teenage cousin into the United States without papers. According to Univision, Jonathan came in search of his mother, whom he had not seen in 4 years. When he was caught by United States Border Patrol, Jonathan was turned over to his mother, who lives and works in the United States legally. That was two years ago. Jonathan now is enrolled in the fifth grade, speaking English and playing along with his classmates. On Monday a judge may send Jonathan back to El Salvador, without his mother.

Jonthan’s mother resides and works legally in the U.S. under the TPS program that allows residents from Central American nations impacted by recent natural disasters in their home countries to remain in the U.S. This program was extended to residents of El Salvador in 2001. Any child /adult entering the U.S. from that country after 2001 is not eligible for legal protection, even if he is a minor child, like Jonathan.

According to Univision:

Unos 115 mil niños fueron detectados el año pasado, cuando ingresaban ilegalmente a Estados Unidos, dijeron las autoridades. La mayoría procedente de México, seguido por Honduras y El Salvador.

These are the tragic real immigration stories that anti-immigration activists don not like to speak of. It is much easier to accuse those crossing the border of being criminals, drug dealers, murderers, and terrorists instead of recognizing them as human. They are sometimes the children our own children play with.

Via / Univision