One Boy's Immigration Story Signals Hope for Children

nbclosangeles ^ | Mar 14, 2014 | John Cádiz Klemack

[moonshinner_09]

A teenage boy who crossed the US-Mexico border on his own will as a child is a success story for a nonprofit group whose mission is to help more children avoid deportation after coming to the US.

Brian Alvarez, a 16-year-old immigrant from El Salvador, is a lawful, permanent resident of the US. It was on his 12th birthday he made the conscious decision to come to the US illegally.He left El Salvador by himself to escape forced gang initiation and to search for his father.

"This was my opportunity to really know my dad, see how he is, get new memories with him" Alvarez told NBC4.

Alvarez went from El Salvador to Guatemala to Mexico and ultimately to Texas, where agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took him into custody."I was in cars, in buses, I was all over the place," he said. "When (ICE) got me, that was the only scary part I remember."

But then, a "KiND" moment presented itself to Alvarez, who is now a resident of the Los Angeles County city of Bell Gardens.

"I was very happy and emotional," he said. "And I did cry. I did cry."

The tears Alvarez spoke of came when an organization that helps young immigrants stepped in to get him residency.

"In the United States, a child should not be asked to do this," said Sonia Nazario, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who wrote "Enrique's Journey," based on her own travels with young immigrants on top of trains trying to cross into the US.

[moonshinner_09]

How can this boy age 12 travel across dangerous countries such as El Salvador, he was capable of passing through Guatemala,astoundingly passing through Mexico, without encountering any problems to the extent he ended up in Texas where he encountered ice ?He was capable being able to master what travel routes to take to pass though above countries. According to him they wanted to forced gang initiation unto him,But above countries dangerous as they may be he traveled across all of them without any encounters..I personally do not believe he did this all by himself.. He had outside help from somebody.12 year old boy would be prime target for kidnappers and would be valuable worker to the mexican drug cartels who would put him to work in the drug trade.

[stanne]

“In the United States, a child should not be asked to do this,” said Sonia Nazario

She’d have to, with her Pulitzer Prize expertise, tell us who asked him?

[tbw2]

There was a passing note that he was seeking his father. More likely, someone was paid by the father to bring him into the U.S., like a father going “Oh, great, he’s now old enough to work, come on up!”

[Ray76]

BS.

[dfwgator]

Maybe they need to work so that their countries aren’t crapholes.

[moonshinner_09]

Another question.Parents send smugglers thousands of dollars to entrust their kids or kids with drug cartels.The America legal system never charges [parents with child endangerment,child abuse,etc,etc...

[stanne]

Just wondering which Americans this author thinks asked him to do this.

[Iron Munro]

“In the United States, a child should not be asked to do this,” said Sonia Nazario
She’d have to, with her Pulitzer Prize expertise, tell us who asked him?

He's a volunteer and a criminal.

[stanne]

Pulitzer Prize, bah!

[moonshinner_09]

oh yeah it is not against the law to hire drug cartels to smuggle children it is legal.They never arrest parents

[moonshinner_09]

is smuggling legal in mexico if child is mexican going to parents in U.S.where smuggling is legal to hire someone carry out the act because obama directs agents to take children to parents and they never review if the parents are wanted by police or anything ?

[moonshinner_09]

they do not subject kids to review by courts just forward the kids to parents. They can drop off at border smugglers coach kids what to say when the border agents review who parents are afterwards kids sent to parents. The gov will not conduct any kind of review on parents they hand over kids.take off

[moonshinner_09]

Shoot,I forgot to ask do the parents of any child smuggled have to provide an id to ice when smuggled kids are dropped off ? would cable bill, cell phone bill be valid id enough to release child to said parents since they are undocumented with no valid id would power bill be proof enough these are the parents ?