Migrant Stories

Life in the borderlands: families separated by paperwork and a wall

Claudia Medrano and Yovanic Quiñones chat with their children through the border wall

Claudia Medrano and Yovanic Quiñones chat with their children through the border wall

For fourteen years, Claudia Medrano and Yovanic Quiñones have lived the back and forth life of the frontera. In 2000, they moved to San Diego with their kids, two children born in Mexico. Then another child was born in San Diego, and now the couple is back in Tijuana. But their children still live in EmbraceSan Diego–one goes to Helix High School.

Yovanic remembers fondly that he moved to Tijuana on the 4th of July, 2012.

While the couple waits for their paperwork to be processed in the United States they must meet with their kids at the border wall for the thirty minutes on Saturdays and Sundays when the park is open.

2 Comments

  1. thanks for the pictures Jill. God bless you . We love you kids and we wanna be togethters.

    • Hi Yovanic, your story is so moving and like so many others, it shows the frustration and difficulties of families whose members have different immigration status. So unfair. But there are people out there listening. And I do believe things will change. It was wonderful to meet you and Claudia. Abrazo fuerte, Jill

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