A 7-year-old girl found her mother after almost two months in immigration detention



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On Sunday, she and her mother were reunited in tears at the Miami-Dade airport.

Passengers busy at the locker were unaware of the moving story unfolding in front of them, as Buena Ventura Martin-Godinez, 29, kissed her daughter for the first time since she l & # 39; She left home in Guatemala 61 days ago.

Martin-Godinez stays with his family in Miami after crossing the US border with his son and applying for asylum on May 1st.

Husband crossed with their daughter, Janne Idali Godinez Martin, shortly thereafter, May 8 They did not know that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had announced the day before that all adults crossing the border illegally would be charged federal crimes – a zero tolerance policy that would force parents to be separated from their children. [19659005MarineMartin-GodinezaetetakeninAtlantaJanneastoppedandtakentoMichigan

Meanwhile, Janne fell ill. Even though Martin-Godinez is a nurse in Guatemala, she was not able to help her daughter while she was complaining of headaches and pain at 1,300 miles

sunday Janne grabbed a stuffed toy while her mother wiped her tears. 19659002] "She asks to never be separated from her mother again," said Martin-Godinez, translating into Spanish what his daughter said in her mother Mam.

Mother's message to other mothers: If you are thinking of asylum here, find another country. "The laws here are severe and people do not have hearts," she said.

"People dream of coming here, to save their lives, but I do not know what they do to live what I've lived. "

Escape the threat of violence at home

As a nurse in her hometown of Huehuetenango, Martin-Godinez did a good job, and her husband, Pedro Godinez Aguilar, started a business, but this has prompted constant demands from local gangs to pay – or cope with violence "we have been threatened by people, that if we do not not pay them, they were going to kill us, or our children, "she said.

She and her husband agreed that she would leave with her for 10 months … Pedro, the eldest son, May 1, and he will join their daughter after the end of the school year.

She took a bus to Arizona from her city on the border between Mexico and Guatemala, and asked Asylum: She and her son were detained for a week before being released.It made its way from Arizona to Yum i to meet his brother-in-law.

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Martin-Godinez arrived at the People in Guatemala have heard of the situation and, she says, the threats to her husband have worsened. He decided to leave Huehuetenango immediately, without even telling his wife that he was leaving early. "I just called and they told me that he had come, and that's all I knew," says Martin-Godinez

Painful Weeks

It is in Miami that Martin-Godinez got his daughter's first call. "She asked why was she there, why was she separated, why can not she see her mother, father and brother?" She said.

Martin-Godinez had no idea of ​​where Michigan is located in relation to Miami.

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"My daughter m & # 39; called me … telling me for days that she had a high fever, a lot of dental pain, "recalled the mother.

" As my daughter does not speak English and that she has not been able to speak English. she only speaks english, i left the messages of the social worker because she speaks spanish, i tell her that my daughter is sick, i begged them to see my daughter. but they did not pay attention to me, "she said.

What her mother suspected was finally confirmed – Janne had an infected molar

Had she been able to talk to her daughter during these dark times, her message would have been simple, she says.

you, i am so sorry for what is happening and i will work hard to fix it. "

But sunday, at l. Miami-Dade International Airport, Janne and her mother had big smiles on their faces. Leaving the airport, Martin-Gidonez's relief was palpable. Their plan to celebrate? Go home together. And have some pizza.

For now, it's a big win in a bigger fight for their family to reunite.

"I'm glad my daughter is with me," said Martin-Godinez. "But on the other hand, sad because my husband is still in prison and they told him that they are going to deport him to Guatemala," she said.

"We ran away looking for a life here" and if he goes back, his life will be in danger.

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