Durham boy pens letter to Gov. Cooper over deportation fears

Friday, February 24, 2017
Boy pens letter to Gov. Cooper over deportation fears
A 7-year-old Durham boy penned a letter to Gov. Roy Cooper, afraid his father would be deported

DURHAM, NC -- A 7-year-old Durham boy reached out to Gov. Roy Cooper, terrified his father will be deported.

Armando Campos wrote a letter to the governor, saying he's scared to go to school because his father could be gone when he gets home.

"I do not want my dad to get deported," Armando told ABC11.

His mother, Laura Martin, is a U.S citizen, but his father is undocumented. That's why their family has been protesting deportations; they are afraid of a divided family.

"That's really scary to him, knowing that he could be raised with one parent instead of two," Martin said.

Martin said her husband supports the family of five as she battles cervical cancer and Armando battles epileptic seizures.

She said her son wrote the letter to the governor after watching the news Wednesday night - news about people in Charlotte being deported.

A spokesperson with the governor's office responded to Armando's letter:

"Governor Cooper believes we can keep our country safe without separating families, hurting businesses and turning away good people. Immigration enforcement efforts need to focus on protecting our communities from violent criminals."

Martin said she won't let anything split up her family.

"I would go back to Mexico with my husband and all four of my kids," she said.

Armando's 5-year-old brother, Paquito, is also afraid.

"I want (my father) to go to Mexico," Paquito said, "because I'm scared that he will never come back."

Report a Typo