27/01/2026
Our family was affected by changes in immigration policies in Sweden that were not spelled out. Due to Brexit, we went from being an EU citizen family to a Brexit family. The immigration lawyer we were working with for the switch helped my husband handle his situation, but said nothing about mine nor our child’s. All three of us should have been sent In together. If we had, we all would have citizenship right now.
At the time I was going through stage 4 cancer treatments including surgery as well as chemo. We missed sending in the paperwork for myself and our child literally by a week for our temporary extension because of being distracted by cancer. At 6 months of processing you can request a review and closure of your case, which we did and, at the same time, discovered we sent in the incorrect paperwork as we were supposed to send in the Brexit paperwork. We sent it in the next morning and removed our previous paperwork like the immigration department told us to over the phone. I, stupidly, did not write down the name of the person we talked to.
When we hit the 6 months for this paperwork, we sent in the letter to request the review and close our case. This is when we received a letter saying we had filed the incorrect paperwork and to send a new version of the original paperwork. They did not care that when we originally sent in the wrong paperwork I was navigating stage 4 cancer - severe health situations sre supposed to be an extenuating circumstance that is allowed.
I ended up having to leave the country through a country outside the EU in 4 days from the letter we received, fly back to the US, and wait for an appointment at the Swedish embassy in Washington DC. Thankfully, I had family that could assist through this entire process.
When my husband and our 5 year old autistic child took me to the airport, our child was bawling and screaming mommy while I was going to security. We explained to him beforehand that I had to go to the US for a bit without him and would be back as soon as I could. He was absolutely traumatized.
7 weeks later I received my letter allowing me back in the country. Our child was so thankful I was back and told me that I was not allowed to ever go anywhere again without him as he’s my travel buddy. He still, over a year later gets scared at the prospect of me leaving him again.
I look at our son after seeing the child used as a pawn to grab his father and I am so unbelievably livid.
The reason I share this is because the trauma that ICE is creating in the US right now is so beyond what we experienced. So many that followed the rules and are being rounded up. They have green cards and permanent residence. Many have never lived outside of the US. Actual citizens are being targeted for the color of their skin. This is active abuse of individuals and children that have done absolutely nothing wrong. The level of trauma being inflicted is unimaginable and completely unacceptable. This is NOT how immigration policies are adjusted. Civil rights and human rights are being violated every single day at this point.
With each person killed by ICE I flip through the faces of the Black children murdered by law enforcement for just existing, the Black men and women that have been murdered for just existing, the Indigenous Americans that have been murdered since Europeans showed up on the continent. I am horrified and disgusted by everything occurring. It Is the opposite of what I was taught to believe - every person has value. The US HAS to DO better and BE better.
It’s also NOT just about the US. This affects Immigration around the entire world and Is unacceptable.
Photo: picture of fallen tree In the shape of a heart taken In Bergen, Norway by author.
