The MONTREVIL FAMILY

Nominating Organization: Judson Memorial Church

Hi, I am Jahsiah. I am 14 years old. I am the son of the 49-year old Haitian immigrant Jean Montrevil. My father came to the US from Haiti with his twin sister, Rose Montrevil, in 1986, when he was only 17 years old. On January 16th, after living 32 years in the US, my father was deported to Haiti, a country he does not know anymore. They took him away suddenly, on his way to work, and he had to leave all of us behind. I can’t explain how it feels to have your parent taken away from you - a part of me is missing but I know he’d want me to keep going.

My father has been struggling with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since 2005 when he was first detained, 13 years ago. He had to go to annual check-ins with ICE and before every check-in I always tried to spend as much time as possible with him and try not to think about the fact that it may be the last time I see him. My father is a wonderful man - he volunteers, takes good care of his family, and always stands up for what is right. My main goal in life is to do everything he wants me to do and make him proud. That's the main reason I try so hard to get into the best schools possible because he pushes me so hard.

My father has a community that loves him and a family that NEEDS him here in NYC. After being deported to Haiti, he lost everything he worked for. His family, job, and whole life is in the US. He tries to stay positive and upbeat but I know he is really struggling and needs to see us to stay hopeful.

My mom, brother Antoine, two sisters Jamya and Janiah, and I would like to go to Haiti to visit my dad during spring break in April 2019 — we cannot afford to pay for all of us to go so we are asking for help so we can see our father. Thank you so much for your support - it means a lot to me.