After making history as first Kenyan-born US politician, Momanyi narrates deportation ordeal
Momanyi revealed how her family faced the looming threat of deportation for over 11 years despite relentless efforts to navigate the intricate system.
Kenyan-born Minnesota House Representative Huldah Momanyi's remarkable rise to political leadership in the United States is rooted in a deeply personal struggle with the complexities of the US immigration system.
Speaking on NTV, in an emotional recount, Momanyi revealed how her family faced the looming threat of deportation for over 11 years despite relentless efforts to navigate the intricate system.
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"My dad went to the United States in the 1980s and after a while, my mom joined and we remained back in Kenya with my uncle who then brought us to the US in 1995," she said
Huldah Momanyi, recently elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives as the first Kenyan-born immigrant to achieve this milestone, recounted how her family and their church sought help from the late Senator Paul Wellstone during their immigration battle.
The late was a true advocate for the people. He firmly believed that everyone deserves a shot at the American Dream.
Their fate changed only after intervention from the late Senator Wellstone, whose decisive actions overturned their deportation order within 48 hours. Wellstone intervened by petitioning all relevant stakeholders, including the Immigration Office, leading to the reversal of the deportation decision.
She attributed the outcome to divine intervention, adding, "By the grace of God, over 20 years later, I'm now serving as the first Kenyan-born individual elected to public office in the United States."
Reflecting on her journey, Momanyi acknowledged that had her family been deported, her life would have taken a vastly different path.
"Everything that followed the decision shaped the person I am today. I can't even imagine what my life would have been like in Kenya," she admitted.
Despite living in the US since the age of nine, Momanyi revealed that she speaks Ekegusii, her native language, more fluently than Kiswahili.
The narrative of immigrants in America, particularly African immigrants, is undergoing a profound transformation, reshaping perceptions and challenging stereotypes.
The recent decades have seen African immigrants emerging as a dynamic and influential demographic, contributing significantly to the socio-economic and cultural fabric of the United States.
