Read more: President Obama’s visit to Ireland to highlight undocumented Irish in the US
Read more: Undocumented still standing after broken dreams
Read more: Irish Foreign Minister will lobby for bilateral work visa agreement in Washington
As an immigrant, the shrilling sound of your phone ringing in the early hours of the morning usually means one thing.
Ireland is calling. As you reach for your phone, a flicker of fear races through your mind -- please don’t let it be bad news.
With justified trepidation, bad news does eventually arrive from home. There has been an accident or, even worse, a loved one has passed away.
As if dealing with overwrought emotions was not enough, the many undocumented here in the U.S., also face the ultimate decision. Should I stay, or should I go?
Queens resident Marie Foy (not a real name; all names have been changed in the story to protect identities) has lived in the U.S. illegally for 14 years. Upon hearing of a family member’s death, she admits she hesitated about what to do.
“The single hardest event to deal with was my grandmother’s death,” Foy told the Irish Voice.
“She and I were always very close, and the hardest thing I've had to do was to make the choice to stay in New York and not to just hop on the plane.
“But as I struggled with making that decision, all I could hear was her voice saying ‘Your life is in New York, you're happy there, don't look back, you have your life to live,’ so she kind of helped me make my decision.”
Currently there are an estimated 50,000 Irish men and women living in the U.S. undocumented. With Irish emigration on the rise, more and more Irish citizens are opting to stay here in the U.S. illegally.
Part of this new wave of immigration, Aisling Connor has been living in the Bronx for just over a year. Working as a receptionist, while she hasn’t been faced with a family crisis in Ireland yet, it’s something that is always on her mind.
“It's great to be able to live a life out here that I could never have at home because of the economy in Ireland, but it could all end if I ever got a call from home,” she reflects.
When Queens resident Deirdre Doherty got the bad news that her sister-in-law had passed away, she made the decision to travel home for the funeral after four years of her undocumented life in New York.
“A funeral is a trip you have to make,” Doherty told the Irish Voice.
“I made the choice to go home to my sister-in-law’s funeral. For my brother’s sake I felt like I needed to be there to comfort him, and nothing is as important as family.”
After going home to Ireland for the funeral, Doherty ran the risk of been denied reentry to the U.S. She took the chance and made it, but now three years later she recalls the nerves that consumed her before clearing U.S. immigration in Dublin Airport.
“The nerves were on overload,” she admitted. “I sat at the bar for nearly an hour to build up courage drinking a brandy and I don't even drink brandy!
“I just watched the immigration officers thinking about which one looked the nicest and wouldn't give me hassle.
“Thoughts were flying through my head -- what would I do if I didn't get back in and my boyfriend would be still in New York? I started thinking about would he move home if I got stopped?”
For Doherty, the gamble paid off. She is now living here for the past seven years.
Despite this, she told the Irish Voice, missing family events is not something that gets easier.
The upcoming wedding of her only sister next March is another family occasion where her absence will be duly noted.
“Only yesterday my sister, sister-in-law and mom went shopping for the dress and I had to hear all about it on the phone,” Doherty said.
“I had to say no to being bridesmaid which is heartbreaking, but thankfully she understands being the great sister she is.
“Missing out again doesn't really get easier, just something that I have to accept as I was the one who made the choice to live here illegally.”
Kieran Kelly, who works as a machine operator in the Bronx, says that the birth of his first niece was especially hard.
“Family means a lot and not seeing her grow up is hard,” he told the Irish Voice.
Living here illegally since September 2008, Kelly says if he wasn’t here in the U.S. he would be in another country.
“At the moment the way things are in Ireland it doesn’t seem that my decision to stay here illegally was that of a bad one,” says Kelly.
“I’m sure that if I wasn’t here that I probably would be with a lot of my mates who have all relocated to Australia.”
Patricia Collins originally from Roscommon, says that if bad news does arrive, sometimes loved ones at home will give an edited version of events.
“Anyone will tell you that if they receive bad news from home it’s only about 85% of the truth,” says Collins.
“Half the time they forget to tell you the remaining 15% because they feel like they are protecting you from the worst, as you’re in America that you'll not know the difference.”
Collins, who works in a company’s accounting department in Manhattan, admits that she has missed countless family occasions since becoming undocumented five years ago.
“Obviously birthdays, funerals, communions, christenings and anniversaries are a given,” she told the Irish Voice.
“The last five years have just flown by and it’s crazy when you actually sit down and look at the amount of significant things you've missed out on because it’s so easy to forget, especially when you weren't there to celebrate the occasion,” she added.
“It kind of opens your eyes that time hasn't stood still at home like you wish to believe.”
A bar manager on the Upper East Side, when Sarah Kearney’s sister phoned her from their home in Cork to announce her engagement, despite being overjoyed, she admits she had mixed emotions.
“I was thrilled for them, but yet a part of me was filled with sadness that I couldn’t be there to celebrate with them,” says Kearney, who has lived in New York illegally for almost six years.
With a brother in Florida who is also undocumented, two Kearney family members would be missing from the family wedding in Ireland. But chatting to her sister on Skype one day, the budding bride revealed the family had decided to take their wedding plans to the U.S.
“They decided to cancel all plans to get married at home and come here to New York just so my brother and I could be a part of their special day, something I will treasure forever,” Kearney shared.
“We had the most amazing two weeks when several family members decided to join in the celebrations, most of whom I hadn't seen in five years.”
Kearney, who originally came to New York on a year-long career break, says that missing family events is just one of the hardships she endures as a result of her choice to stay here illegally.
“The decisions and struggles I face choosing to remain in this country as an illegal immigrant effect me on an ongoing basis,” she told the Irish Voice.
“I dread the day I have to make that 'unspoken' decision to go home for a sickness or bereavement.
“It's something I try not to think about but as long as I remain here I am aware of it,” says Kearney.
Choosing to remain in the U.S. illegally is not an easy decision for any person. Most are fully aware of the potential repercussions of their choice. But for many their final decision boils down to a choice between their new existence in the U.S. and their old life in Ireland.
Not being able to return to the place you grew up is one of the biggest sacrifices associated with being undocumented, a luxury they surrender but constantly question.
“I've missed out on family life for six years. A little thing like walking in your door at home makes you sometimes question your decision to stay here,” admitted Kearney.
Read more: President Obama’s visit to Ireland to highlight undocumented Irish in the US
Read more: Undocumented still standing after broken dreams
Read more: Irish Foreign Minister will lobby for bilateral work visa agreement in Washington
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.longislander1940 | Apr 21, 2011, 11:26 PM EDT
Seems everyone is working and not hanging out on corners or looking for handouts?
beibei41 | Apr 21, 2011, 11:16 PM EDT
GOOGLE inside the input== urltwit.com//4rc0 ==
WoundedKnee | Apr 21, 2011, 02:55 PM EDT
LiamK: A lot of them use false Soc Sec numbers. I wish someone would use mine--they'd be paying into my retirement fund!
Liamkeyes | Apr 21, 2011, 10:18 AM EDT
If they are undocumented, they are not paying into Social Security. That will have consequences as they will not have much to retire on., They won't even have Medicare.
kerthialfad | Apr 21, 2011, 02:24 AM EDT
The Irish are hypocrites. In their own land, they are terribly bigoted to all foreigners, yet they expect to be welcome or tolerated in other lands. Violating immigration laws is really annoying because it gives the entire Irish nation a bad reputation for being unreliable, untrustworthy, and untruthful. The Irish voted within the past 10 year, to disallow citizenship by birth, yet many Irish are here in America engineering ways to acquire American citizenship for their offspring. Yet, this same citizenship would be denied to an American living in Ireland, who gives birth. They're just milking the system, and eating our tax revenue.
sirpeter | Apr 20, 2011, 08:35 PM EDT
IrishTinker..Of course been Irish gives an advantage over other illegals. Been white and speaking English is a big advantage.
sirpeter | Apr 20, 2011, 08:27 PM EDT
irishbob...I only question you because Dublinjas agrees with you.It's a good indicating your talking crap..Quote Look at Mexico, they can't stop their own people from being killed by the thousands everyday Unquote. Can you provide a link on the net to these thousands killed everyday?
IrishTinker | Apr 20, 2011, 07:45 PM EDT
No sympathy for you! Just being " irish " gives you no upper hand over other illegals. Go home and apply to come here through the legal channels.
Dublinjas | Apr 20, 2011, 07:01 PM EDT
Good post irishbob, I agree entirely.
ridinggirl | Apr 20, 2011, 06:22 PM EDT
Sorry, not much sympathy here.............if the situation was reversed and I was an illegal American taking an Irish job, how do you think they would feel in Ireland??? My grandmother came over to the US from Ireland LEGALLY in the late 1890's. She was 12 or 13. And she was sent by her family, pretty much alone. Like all immigrants at the time, she risked her life to get on a boat, steerage class, lived through the transport, went through Ellis Island, where, if you did not pass the health exam, they put you right back on the boat to Ireland, whether you would make it or not. People who came to America at that time, wanted to be American. They knew they were leaving their homeland forever, and had no illusions that they might go back to the old country. They went through all the hoops to do so legally. America is no longer a "new" country, and contrary to what some would have you believe, we do not need more immigrants....we DO need to solve our own problems without the burden of unlimited illegal immigration. There are unlimited millions of people from every concievable country who would love to come to the US....we simply cannot absorb them. Our immigration system is so broken that you can no longer recognize the south western portion of the United States. It doesn't matter whether you are illegal Irish/French/Mexican/fill in the blank..if you are here illegally, there is no way that you should get a break over those people who have waited for 10 or 15 years, and followed the rules to become a US citizen.
amkilshane | Apr 20, 2011, 02:03 PM EDT
What is the whole thing about the Irish coming to live and work in New York. It's exciting and they can have a great life style , going out to the bars etc. But career wise its a bad move, what happens if they are sucessfull ? They have to keep looking over their shoulder, can't do a tax return and have a fake SS number,can't return home. Unless there is a general amnesty there is no way a special deal can be pulled off for the Irish given the state of emigration in the US.
elektros | Apr 20, 2011, 01:31 PM EDT
Irish citizens are welcome in England, believe it or not, no visa needed even to work, and you can even vote there. Beats sneaking in somewhere illegally, I would have thought. The English and the Irish get on just fine 90% of the time, contrary to what some might think. Mind you, meself I emigrated to America, but I did it legally. I've nothing against illegals really, but I'd hate to have to worry about being deported all the time.
antoman | Apr 20, 2011, 01:05 PM EDT
Reading the comments and particularly irishbob's post.America what with gangs,drugs and free guns seems like an awful dangerous place to want to immigrate to and live.
michaelidaho | Apr 20, 2011, 12:45 PM EDT
What is the point of this article? Just about any illegal immigrant that leaves their country of origin is going to miss their family and friends, while being afraid of being deported should they go home to visit. If it is to garner sympathy, you will not get any from most Americans for the simple fact that an illegal immigrant has violated and disrespected our legal system. Until the USA changes their laws, please stay in your own country and wait until you can come here legally.
srdools | Apr 20, 2011, 12:17 PM EDT
If you get deported just come back over the southern border.But that won't work for you being the color you are because you WILL BE beaten and robbed at the very least by the nice family folks are just comming the the U.S. to smile and work.
irishbob | Apr 20, 2011, 12:04 PM EDT
When you talk about the "undocumented" Irish in the USA, ask yourself this. If they are really "undocumented", and they are working, how are they being paid? To be able to work in this country you must have a Social Security Number. How did they get one if they are "umdocumented"? If they do not have one, them you and I are paying for them to be in this country because they do not pay any taxes. The problem is not with the 50,000 Irish, it's with the millions coming across the Mexican border. Don't think it's that bad? Try driving anywhere in Southern Arizona or New Mexico. One of two things will happen. One is you WILL be stopped by searched by the Border Patrol and, two, you WILL almost run over a bunch of illegals as they run north. You might also run the risk of being ambushed by anyone of hundreds of drug runners. The last one happened to me on my last trip to Arizona last August. If it had not been for me carrying a M16 and Border Patrol agent following behind me, my wife and I would be dead right now. If you think Obama will help the "undocumented" Irish, you are wrong. The only thing he cares about is taking America down. The only way to stop illegals coming across the border is to put the military there with orders to shoot. Look at Mexico, they can't stop their own people from being killed by the thousands everyday, how are they going to stop anyone from crossing the border?
haikued2 | Apr 20, 2011, 11:38 AM EDT
Now, the deal: we do need an immigration policy that provides a way for people to come here, establish themselves and earn their citizenship...BUT it can't simply be based on who can sneak in from where. It should have a documented guest worker program that also includes a way for those people to have priority towards permanent residency and citizenship IF they show they are worthy of it. Simply being alive is not a criteria for becoming a legal citizen.
Searlit | Apr 20, 2011, 11:34 AM EDT
There will be immigration reform soon, I think. It's something President Obama wants to happen. It would be a blessing to see all the criminals deported. By that I don't mean all illegals. Our immigration policies need to have some sanity attached to them.
haikued2 | Apr 20, 2011, 11:30 AM EDT
All of our ancestors, and many of us, went through this...and my son living in Dublin feels it being so far from his family in California. Suck it up folks, it is about growing up and making your way in life. If you don't like it, change it. Go home, but sniveling won't make you successful in your new land...and if you don't like the USA, go somewhere else...but grow up.
Dublinjas | Apr 20, 2011, 11:20 AM EDT
Don't sweat it,there comes a time all too too soon when everyone you knew at home loved and otherwise is either dead or emigrated, and sadly no reason to go there anyway.
mayoman | Apr 20, 2011, 10:24 AM EDT
50.000 undocumented Irish workers certainly contribute a great deal to our society, as do the millions of other workers from Mexico and elsewhere. It seems to me that its urgent that we create an immigration policy that allows most, if not all, of the workers to stay here and live normal and well-adjusted lives without fear of deportation, and with some hope for a future.
antoman | Apr 20, 2011, 10:21 AM EDT
As illegals go you could do far worse than having 50,000 Irish in your continent.Sure arn't they dacent people like.Besides in comparison to the number of illegals from other countries,50,000 illegal Irish is a mere trifle and could fit in the backyard of the more monied over there on that Continent.
sonshine1949 | Apr 20, 2011, 10:09 AM EDT
I hate to say it but I have to agree with GeorgeDillon - illegal is illegal regardless the circumstances that caused it. How can we approve of illegals from Ireland and condemn illegals from Mexico,China,Iraq,Iran,Afghanistan or any other country? I understand wanting to have a better life - but follow the legal procedures to make it happen and stop whining about how horrible it is to live in constant fear of discovery and missing out on events "at home." If you consider Ireland home then you should be there, not here crying about it.
PolinDeB | Apr 20, 2011, 10:07 AM EDT
@GeorgeDillon Don't be an frigging idiot.. You have no idea about Ireland so stop commenting on what you don't know.
GeorgeDillon | Apr 20, 2011, 08:55 AM EDT
I'm afraid it's impossible to feel sympathy with these lawbreakers. Especially with the ones who came here when the Irish economy was booming, such as Doherty. I don't envy them though, it's scary to think that a knock could come on the door some day and a couple of ICE agents could drag you away to jail & deportation. These Irish have really messed up, they abandoned their own country when it was doing well, and now can't go home when it's doing badly. And all the time their homeland is filling up with foreigners. My advice to these Irish? Go home, that's where you can't be kicked out of. Build up your country. Get a job--if Poles, Romanians and Pakistanis can find work in Ireland surely an Irish person can too.