Letter on Immigration from our friend Lori Evenhouse

On Wednesdays we expand our family letters a bit to include our friends.  All letters on this blog are also mailed to the White House.  In the event that we get a reply from the President, we will scan it and post it on this site as well.

 

 

1110 E. 168^th Place

South Holland, IL 60473

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington DC  20500

1 February 2017

Dear President Trump, 

In the early part of the 20th century two of my grandparents, then children, came through Ellis Island and became citizens of the United States. They were fortunate to not have to flee religious or political persecution; they were coming to America to join extended family already here and start a new life. I am the granddaughter of immigrants and while every person's experience is different - some more dramatic than others, some more dire than others -  coming to that realization about myself made me think very carefully about what it means to come to United States in hopes of a better life and reunion with family.

Refugees don't have the luxury of leaving one home to go to another. They are without a home, without security and many times without family. They have already gone through one of the most in-depth and extensive vetting processes, often waiting years to be reunited with their children or parents. They have petitioned relentlessly for the privilege of making their home somewhere safe and secure. Every person has the right to these things and this group is particularly vulnerable - why should we hold back the same opportunities that were afforded to us, to our parents and grandparents?

We should be safe in our procedures and welcoming to those looking to come to this country - these two ideas are not exclusive.  On Ellis Island there were rules and procedures in place to ensure safety and security. But even then, the thousands coming through those doors each day, were welcomed from other lands, "your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore"

Because my great-grandparents and grandparents stepped off of the boat and onto Ellis Island, I need to do everything I can to make sure that other Americans in the future have the chance to be with their families, live safe lives and to say "I am the granddaughter of immigrants." 

Sincerely, 

Lori Evenhouse