Before arriving in Waukegan on Sept. 19 from her hometown in Mexico, Xally Morales Guzman, 12, had never seen water so wide she could not see the other side or dug shells out of the sand at a beach.
Xally’s journey began in early August in her native country. Abandoned by her mother after her father died from COVID, she lived with her grandmother before she headed for the United States where her two sisters — both native-born Americans — and an aunt were waiting.
Facilitated by Julie Contrares, a Waukegan resident and founder of United Giving Hope who makes it a mission to help people seeking legal entry into the United States, the reunion of Xally and her American family was complicated.
Xally was expected to start her American education this week as a seventh grader and the newest student at Robert Abbott Middle School in Waukegan, where she looks forward to making friends and her formal schooling.
“I feel a lot of excitement, and I’m a little nervous,” Xally said, with Contrares serving as her interpreter. “I’m going to be learning and meeting new people. I feel good.”
Crossing the border in Texas on Aug. 8, Xally got to Lake County as an unaccompanied minor on Aug. 15 and remained in federal custody here until she was reunited with her sisters and aunt on Sept. 19. Along with hugs and kisses, she said there was a trip to the beach.
“I sat by the lake, and the sand was so smooth,” Xally said. “I dug in the sand and found shells. I never saw one before. The lake was so beautiful. You could see and see forever, and it was all water. I felt free.”
When an unaccompanied minor enters the U.S., Contrares said there is a legal process that they must clear before they are released to their guardian. While there, they receive a thorough medical examination and all needs are met, she said.
A week after arriving in her new Waukegan home, Xally’s aunt and oldest sister, Abigail Guzman, 23, who will be her legal guardian, arrived at the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 office to register as a student.
Breezing through the District 60 registration process with Contrares assisting the family, as she has done in the past with others, Xally learned she would be placed in the seventh grade and receive help as a newcomer as she adjusts to her new environment.
When she first heard from Xally’s family, Contrares said the situation was complicated. Getting Xally to her sisters and aunt in Waukegan was the right solution, Contrares said.
“She had a Mexican attorney and an American attorney,” Contrares said “We had all the legal bases covered. She is an unaccompanied minor seeking legal entry into the United States. She qualifies for special immigration into the United States.”
Initially Contrares said Xally’s aunt — her mother’s sister — was going to be her American sponsor. Contrares said she felt making Xally’s sister her legal guardian was a better idea, and the switch was made.
