![]() My heart was broken when I saw them taking him and I was not able to do anything. ![]() It was so painful and cruel, and I still suffer a lot because of the separation of my son. They did not give me the opportunity to say goodbye to him. That same night they took him away from me. When I fainted, my son picked me up off the ground and cried bitterly. They told me that this happened to me because I came to this country, that they did not want us here. They just laughed at us and made fun of my situation. My son cried when he saw me like that and asked them to take me to a doctor. I fainted again, and they threw me to the floor. When I passed out, the officers took me out of the cold room they had me in with my son. I got sick there, I passed out because I was very weak, and I had not eaten well for days - the way in the desert was very long. Those were the bitterest days that me and my son have ever lived. They took me to the detention center – Yuma, Arizona - with my son. I came with many illusions BUT when I arrived, what I found was humiliation and ridicule on the part of the detention officers. I came to this country to save my life and to give my son Jefry, 13 years old, a better future. I want to kiss them again.ĭalia "My heart was broken when I saw them taking him and I was not able to do anything" Read original letter in Spanish | Leer en español Today I ask only one thing and it is to see the face of my two little angels. They got their justice, we already paid for what we’ve done. Please help me, I am desperate, I want to be with them. It has been more than a month since I saw them. My girl continued to cry, and they took them away without mercy for me or my children. The last words of my son were “Mommy, if they come for me, I'll hold your feet tight and I will not let you go even if they pull me.” My pain was even greater when I heard that. My boy and my girl threw themselves into my arms and cried. And that day finally came, they took them away from me with no consideration. We endured hunger, cold and fear that at any time they were going to separate us from each other. I was looking for a better future for them. I, as their mother, wanted to protect them. We entered this country on May 23, looking for refuge. ![]() I am the mother of two little children whose names are Victor, who was born on 24 June 2007, and Leidy, who was born on July 29, 2008. Maria "The last words of my son were 'Mommy, if they come for me, I'll hold your feet tight and I will not let you go'" Read original letter in Spanish | Leer en español Here are some of their stories - edited for length - in their own words. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said that the agency “provides safe and sanitary conditions in its facilities.” In another statement, ICE said that it is “committed to ensuring the welfare of all those in the agency’s custody,” but would not comment on specific accusations unless we revealed the full names of the letter writers.ĬNN did not share, and has not published, the women's full names due to fear of any retaliation they may suffer. But several of the women remain in detention.Īsked for comment, a U.S. Two others have been released and allowed to see their kids. Their desperate notes, scrawled in pencil, read like messages in bottles.Īt least one of the women who wrote to us has since been reunited with her children. The letters, written by women who have come from countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico, recall the moments of separation in harrowing detail, and allege mistreatment at the facilities in which they have been confined, first at a detention center in Yuma, Arizona, and later at Eloy.Īt that time, in late June, many mothers had not been able to speak to their children since they were separated. Ten days later, 14 handwritten notes arrived at CNN’s offices in New York. ![]() In a letter, we asked the women if they would like to share their stories, and, if so, to describe the moment they were separated from their children. Last month, CNN sent writing paper along with a stamped and addressed return envelope to immigrant mothers who had been separated from their children and who were detained at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Eloy, Arizona.
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