Undocumented immigrants are fearing the worst under President Trump's administration. As NY1 previously reported, a grassroots immigrant outreach group, created after Trump's election, is now gaining momentum. In the second of this two-part story, NY1's Lisa Voyticki introduces us to the youngest member of the group who wants to reach out to undocumented youth.
Ana Hernandez is taking a seat at the table for her peers. The 16-year old West Brighton teen is the youngest member of 'The Above Ground Railroad,' a pro-immigrant group NY1 previously reported on.
"I was born in Mexico but I have one US parent, and one Mexican born parent, and seeing kids come over here and have the exact same situation as me; coming when they were young and not be given the rights that I do that really hurts me," said Hernandez.
She's a junior at Curtis High School, and wants to start an affiliated youth group to show that in a borough that largely voted for President Trump in November, not all agree with his policies on undocumented immigrants, especially when it comes to kids.
"I feel responsible for them," said Alicia Isasi-Endress of Oakwood, who is a teacher.
She says a climate of fear in the immigrant community trickles down to her high school students.
"I encouraged many of my students to sign up for the DREAM act. They were really concerned about what their future was going to be like under this administration."
It was the same for fellow teacher Jen Russ.
"I remember one of them said 'I have to go home I have to go back I can't stay here,'" said Russ. "I said 'no you have to stay here' and he said 'no one wants you here' and I said 'I want you here.'"
Meantime for Hernandez, her newfound activism is a family affair. Her mother, Mary Hernandez, is also the daughter of an immigrant.
"The people coming here are because they want the same thing everyone of us want," said an emotional Hernandez to the group at a meeting Sunday.
Ana Hernandez says there are more than 30 countries represented in the student body at Curtis High School. She says most of her friends were not born in the U.S. and that she's trying to send a message of inclusion.
"They're still our friends no matter what," said Hernandez, adding that friends never discussed whether they were documented or undocumented, until now.