In July, the Arizona Daily Star published the story of Karen Soto and her daughter, Lizeth, who are part of the current spike in families migrating to the United States from Central America.
A Star reporter and photographer followed their journey from Tucson’s Greyhound station to Delaware, where Soto’s brother awaited them.
Soto had her first appointment with an immigration official on Aug. 7. Her documents said Monday, Aug. 7, although the day actually was a Thursday, not Monday.
The address for her meeting was in Baltimore, a couple of hours away. Soto found a church member to drive her, but when they got there, she was told that her appointment was in Delaware, not Baltimore. Officials said the immigration officer was probably given the wrong state of residence for Soto, even though her documents stated she was staying in Delaware.
They drove back to Delaware for the appointment.
“I was nervous,” she said later. “I didn’t know if I was going before a judge and what kinds of questions they were going to ask me.”
But all she did was hand her documents over and within minutes an official gave them back with a new date of Nov. 12.
It’s been more than a month since Soto and Lizeth arrived in Dover, Delaware, and although time has gone by fast, Soto said she misses her family a lot.
But for her 6-year-old daughter, it’s as if she were born here.
“I tell her that we are going back to Guatemala, and she says, ‘You can go back mommy. I’ll stay with my uncle.’”
Lizeth starts school Tuesday, but Soto doesn’t worry about her. “She makes friends wherever she goes.”
