At whose expense?Many of us have heard the often repeated phrase, “They are just looking for a better life” referring to the illegal aliens flooding into the U.S. But their “better life” is often a loss to American citizens. Case in point – our family’s experience with an illegal alien. The date: October 7, 2007. Place: 18th Avenue & Anson St., Marshalltown, Iowa. Event: An illegal alien with a fake driver’s license ran two stop signs, crossed three lanes, and broadsided us at a high rate of speed – and rolled our van over. My mother: dead. My husband: broken back, broken hand, four broken ribs, abdominal injuries and surgery. My father: dead spouse. Myself: dead mother, lacerations, broken ribs. Another passenger with us: lacerations. Now for the consequences: For the illegal alien driving – a stop sign violation. The fine: $0. Apparently when one is looking for a better life, there is no money for fines! For the owner of the vehicle allowing someone to drive without a license – fines and court costs totaling $182. Apparently ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) took the driver, and we assumed that she was deported. We have no closure as we don’t even know what happened to the woman who killed my mother. We do wonder if she is back in the U.S. with fake papers. Probably we’ll never know. (We did learn that she was supposed to have been deported for a drug charge before the accident. If she had, my mom would still be alive.) When others have been deported we hear wailing about families being separated. Our family was broken. In our case, the illegal alien was into family disruption - our family. So we are left holding the bag, medically, emotionally and financially. Already the medical costs are approaching a half million dollars. The amount of pain, both physical and emotional, is beyond description. Family and friends have to deal with the loss of my mother – a very vibrant and active woman. My dad has lost his soul mate and now lives with us as he recovers. Dad spent two weeks at the University of Iowa hospital and endured surgery, ICU and unbelievable pain. My husband had surgery for his broken back, spent two weeks in the hospital, and is still working hard to recover. The lifelong implications are still unknown. I took a month off and still provide care for my dad and husband. As for the teen with us – who knows what the psychological consequences are? On top of all this, the paperwork for insurance is nearly a fulltime job. Another hidden cost is the disability that my husband’s employer pays while he can’t work. So the next time you hear the phase “they’re just looking for a better life,” you might just wonder at whose expense. - Mena Kilborn, Marshalltown, IA
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