Neighbors, Not Strangers is an interactive digital storytelling project by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., or CLINIC. Through this initiative, funded in part by the Catholic Communication Campaign at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, we hope to share powerful immigration stories from the CLINIC network to show how immigrants are our neighbors to be encountered and embraced.
Jessica*, a teenage Nicaraguan asylum seeker and former client of CLINIC’s border team, bravely traveled through Central America and Mexico to seek safety with her family in the United States. Stuck in Mexico under the “Remain in Mexico” policy during the height of the pandemic, her courage and resilience helped her family continue the journey. This is Jessica’s story, “A Dream Uncaged: Part One,” featuring original illustration by artist Michelle Garcia.
“It was the middle of the night, but Jessica Molina, 14, sat upright on her bed in the dark, fully dressed. Next to her sat a small bag, where she had packed a few things: three changes of clothes, some food, and a couple family photos.
“She was still, listening intently for noises outside of her room, and a knock that would tell her it was time to go. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears.
“The door cracked open. ‘Jessica, let’s go,’ her father, Daniel, whispered.”