On Nov. 1, 2007, Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) detained my mom. She was deported to Mexico two weeks later. She came [to the United States] for a better life with my dad and two siblings and I was born here a few years later.

At the time, she lived and worked in the U.S. for just less than 20 years.

That day started like any other until early that afternoon. My cousin, who went to the same school as me, told me I needed to call my brother as soon as possible. I was confused but did so and he proceeded to break the news to me.

“Mom’s getting deported.”

Just like that my life turned upside down. He tried to comfort me over the phone but it was useless; I was in shock and could not rationalize it. I was 15 [years old] at the time and did not know what I could do. I’d never felt so small, alone and broken. I walked home as I always did but this time I was very aware I was walking alone to an empty house. My dad was trying to figure out as much as he could of the situation, specifically where she was being detained and what we could do. I remember running around my house frantically trying to understand this–my life had drastically changed after one phone call and I didn’t know why.

Twenty minutes or so later, I heard a knock on the door. I broke down even further because I was terrified they were coming for me or another member of my family. I was living a nightmare. Realistically, I had nothing to worry about, but I started to panic. Every possible, horrible situation quickly crossed my mind. Thankfully it turned out to be my aunt. I saw the pity in her eyes; my cousin had told her what I just found out. She gave me the warmest, tightest hug as I continued to cry. We drove to my sister’s home where we tried to piece together what had happened and where we could go from there.

The following days were all a blur. I was lost; I do not think I ever stopped crying. I was able to talk to my mom over the phone a few times and she, too, tried to comfort me but I did not know how to continue. I did not know what the future held for me without my mom.

After being transported to various prisons she was deported to Tijuana, Mexico two weeks later. She had not been to Mexico in many years but just like that she was expected to “go home.”

It’s been 10 years [since her deportation] and in that time she has become a documented citizen. On Sept. 29, 2015, she pledged her allegiance to the country that had ripped her away from her family. We no longer live in fear, which is perhaps the biggest blessing. She’s taking classes at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) through an extension program, and I’ve never been more proud. She is truly the epitome of the American Dream.

At the time I was a child and was not able to fully understand what had happened. I did not know what iammigration, undocumented immigrants or deportation was as I had been shielded from [me] my entire life. Today I am working on my Masters’ of Fine Arts (MFA) in graphic design and focusing on [immigration concerns]. I’m no longer a helpless kid whose mother was taken away; I am an activist for this cause.

This is what I took away from this experience and now more than ever I find the need to fight for the broken families caught in the political cross hairs. I fight for people like my siblings who were brought here as children and know no other life or country. I fight for the productive members of our society who are told and treated as though they are not equal because they lack a piece of paper. And most importantly to me, I fight for the young children who will inevitably go through what I did if we do not find a solution that protects families and stop separating them.

I am the product of a strong woman and with her help and support I am proud of the person I am today. I strive to get my doctorate and become a professor to fulfill all of the dreams my parents have had for me so their sacrifices don’t go in vain.

Editor’s Note: Rodriguez’s story will be ongoing through the Voices section. On Nov. 7, at 7 p.m., Rodriguez will have a Graduate thesis exhibition gallery that will dive more into the topics of undocumented immigrants, migration and migrant related issues to inform viewers about the political climate and advocacy on the issues.