Hello, I'd really like to grow this email list. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world to Jola and I if you encouraged one friend/fellow immigrant/colleague to subscribe…Very likely, the the only thing you will get in return is warm fuzzy feelings, and if I can attribute it to you, I’d personally send you a thank you email.
In this emotional episode, I'm speaking with Stephanie Kubi, who went from having her entire life planned out to becoming undocumented overnight. All this happened while she was six months pregnant with her first kid.
Stephanie had done everything by the book. “I had applied for renewal. Nobody got back to me. I had applied for restoration. Nobody got back to me... I was literally applying based on all that. And even when they didn't get back to me, I was like, in case it's a loss in the system, let's apply for restoration,” she says.
One day, she's preparing for maternity leave, setting up a nursery, planning for her delivery. The next day, she's holding a deportation notice, wondering if she'll have to choose between leaving everything behind or staying and figuring out what went wrong with the system.
In this conversation, Stephanie and I chat about the constant anxiety. We also explore:
The hidden costs of immigration uncertainty beyond the legal fees
The psychological toll of being the “responsible” firstborn who suddenly can't control anything
Finding your village when you need it most
The fragile nature of the immigrant dream, even when you follow all the rules to the book
Official Links
✅ Connect with Stephanie Kubi on LinkedIn
✅ Check out the Kubi Kollective
One Ask
If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.
Share this post