Alvaro “We’re all one family—that’s what makes this country great” An avid baseball and basketball fan, Alvaro still remembers how much he enjoyed little league. “I was so happy going to the games—they would play the national anthem,” he recalls. Born and raised in Texas, Alvaro loved being part of a team. He still values teamwork, and sees the United States in similar terms: “We’re all one family—that’s what makes this country great.” Standing in his front yard, he adds, “I’m very proud of being an American, a U.S. citizen, and I’m truly grateful for everything this country stands for and I believe in.” When he was in his mid-20s, while visiting his grandmother in Matamoros, Mexico, Alvaro met and fell in love with his now wife, Natalia. After they married, they had an appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, as part of the application process for Natalia to immigrate. Alvaro’s mother accompanied her son on this important occasion. But rather than helping a U.S. citizen unite with his wife, officials at the consulate suddenly seized Alvaro’s mother. They interrogated her for hours, 134 UNMAKING AMERICANS