PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Claudia Valdivia on Resources for Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth
3:52:16
·
5 min
Claudia Valdivia, a mother of three, shares her personal experience with the immigration system and advocates for better support for unaccompanied immigrant youth. She highlights the challenges faced by these children, including lack of bilingual schools, inadequate services for those with special needs, and the impact of uncertain immigration status on their futures.
- Criticizes agencies for prioritizing money over children's well-being and judging parents unfairly
- Emphasizes the need for more resources, including bilingual education and support for children with trauma
- Calls on council members to help immigrant youth, stressing that they flee violence and deserve equal opportunities
Claudia Valdivia (via Spanish Interpreter)
3:52:16
Jovial Processo.
3:52:18
My hello.
3:52:18
My name is Claudia Valdivia.
3:52:20
I'm the mother of 3.
3:52:23
Hello.
3:52:23
My name is Claudia Valdivia.
3:52:25
I'm the mother of 3 children on in who came alone.
3:52:36
I saw the process of seeing how they treated our children.
3:52:50
I was one of the people who started getting in charge to make sure that the agencies were taking care of them.
Alexa Avilés
3:52:56
And
Claudia Valdivia (via Spanish Interpreter)
3:53:00
And the agencies were during the Donald Trump era.
3:53:06
Entitled 420 tolerance.
3:53:18
And as mothers, we lived in order for to get our children back, I waited almost a year to get my children back.
3:53:33
So that they could take us a soup, Maroucha soup.
3:53:42
I started becoming an activist for one reason.
3:53:50
Because I started seeing that they didn't care about our children who are not a company.
3:54:02
So these agencies were more concerned.
3:54:05
They don't treat us like people, but like numbers that were more concerned with money.
3:54:16
And now I see that it wasn't all about giving them a name or finding them a name.
3:54:25
Our children are suffering, and there are not enough bilingual schools.
3:54:34
And for children with special needs, There are there are none for children with special needs who come with trauma.
3:54:49
And the agencies instead of worrying so that the kids were okay.
3:54:57
They would judge us parents.
3:55:01
Why we let them come alone?
3:55:05
In my case, I didn't come here because I wanted.
3:55:12
I didn't I didn't I didn't do it because I wanted to, but I came to this country with broken ribs.
3:55:20
And they were intelligent.
3:55:30
They they okay.
3:55:32
They They misplace my finger to prince in immigration, and they did it like three times.
3:55:41
And it takes time 60 days for them to give them back to you or to allow you to put your fingerprints together.
3:55:53
Not so when I see the agencies here and they kept saying that they had a plan, that they were responsible.
3:56:02
They don't have anything because all the resources I have received I have found myself.
3:56:14
My children, my my child has been here for 5 years.
3:56:20
He wants to be a pilot.
3:56:24
He finished school.
3:56:27
But right now sad.
3:56:32
But because he cannot do what he wants because he doesn't have an immigration status.
3:56:38
And I think it's important.
3:56:44
They are children.
3:56:45
They deserve to be just like the other children.
Ydalmi Mejia
3:56:50
And in
Claudia Valdivia (via Spanish Interpreter)
3:56:51
my case, my children were lucky to have me.
3:56:55
I could register them in school and Find lawyers through agencies.
3:57:04
But many children do not have their luck.
3:57:08
So I asked from the bottom of
Alexa Avilés
3:57:09
my card
Claudia Valdivia (via Spanish Interpreter)
3:57:11
that you who
UNKNOWN (via French Interpreter)
3:57:11
have the part.
3:57:11
That you who have
Shahana K. Hanif
3:57:12
the part.
Claudia Valdivia (via Spanish Interpreter)
3:57:13
Help our youth.
3:57:17
Because these are children who are not here because they want to.
3:57:23
They come fleeing violence.
3:57:26
Not safe in their country.
3:57:32
And I think that this state has a statue of liberty which represents free pay hope.
3:57:41
That's why right now.
3:57:47
The time that we are heard, a lot of time has come by in.
3:57:53
Nobody has really been interested in our children.
3:57:59
It's not fair that here, we cut their dreams again.
3:58:05
It's all that I asked from you, and thanks.
3:58:08
And it's a pleasure that you heard me.