A Family Torn Apart: Oscar’s Story

Oscar is a charismatic six-year-old boy from El Salvador. Growing up, Oscar was a joyful child. He was close with his parents and loved playing with his young brother and going to school. Oscar’s father served in the Salvadoran military for three years before retiring to work for a private company. Oscar’s mother, a homemaker, cared for Oscar and his little brother.

The quiet life they led was interrupted when one evening, a group of unknown men entered their house looking for Oscar’s father. They damaged the family’s property and beat Oscar’s mother. Oscar’s paternal grandmother, who lived with the family, alerted her son to the attack. When Oscar’s father arrived, the men ripped away his military credentials and threatened him, saying that he had just 24 hours to leave town or he and his family would be murdered.

The family immediately fled to another town, but even after the relocation, Oscar’s father was assaulted by a group of men because of his military service. They again threatened to assassinate him and his family. Petrified, the family decided to seek protection in the United States.

When they arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border, the family was forcibly separated because Customs and Border Protection would allow only one parent and one child to enter the United States. They offered no explanation for this arbitrary decision. Despite the entire family arriving and seeking protection together, Oscar and his father were returned to Matamoros under the Remain in Mexico policy while his mother and brother entered the United States.

In Matamoros, Oscar’s father who loves his son dearly, constantly feared for his safety. In February 2020, after being trapped in unsafe conditions for six months and hearing about kidnappings of children at the refugee camp, he sent Oscar across the border alone. A few days after Oscar had crossed the border, his dad was kidnapped, assaulted, and nearly killed by cartel members. He was released only after family paid the ransom the cartel demanded.

Once in the United States, Oscar finally had the opportunity to reunite with his mother and brother. The family hopes that one day they will all be together once again.

Child’s name has been changed to protect his privacy.