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PHILADELPHIA, July 25 (UPI) -- Immigration activist Astrid Silva addressed the Democratic convention on its opening night Monday, saying Hillary Clinton will work to fix illegal immigration while Donald Trump wants to break up families. Silva, 28, who was brought to the United States illegally by her mother as a young child, said she grew up like other children, except she was not allowed to play outside because her parents were afraid her illegal status would be discovered.
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"My family believed so deeply in the promise of this country that we risked everything for the American dream," she said.
After years of working toward coming out of the shadows, Silva said she achieved a lifetime goal — earning a college degree.
"As an undocumented student, I felt like college was out of reach. After a journey of 10 years, I finally graduated from Nevada State College," she said.
Still, Silva said he family members still live in fear that they will be separated from each other if their illegal status is uncovered and prosecuted.
"When Donald Trump talks about deporting 11 million people, he's talking about ripping families apart, separating families like mine ... ," she said. "Hillary Clinton understands that this is not who we are as a country. I have seen her comfort children ... who are scared of losing their families for deportation."
