By April Drew

Thousands of Irish homes will be missing sons, daughters, brothers and sisters this year, as increasing numbers of undocumented Irish in the U.S. refuse to take the chance of going home for Christmas with the prospect of immigration reform on the horizon.

If they brave the trip and attempt to return, the undocumented are automatically subject to a 10-year ban from reentering the U.S. The Irish Voice spoke to some of the undocumented and their families in Ireland about the personal cost of a very upsetting dilemma.

Noreen, 30, from Kerry, who has been living in Boston for seven years, has not spent a family Christmas at home since 2000.

“I'm not even going to put up a Christmas tree this year, I'm fed up with having to spend yet another gloomy Boston Christmas away from my family,” she said.

Noreen's sister Marion recently moved back to Killarney after being in the U.S. for four years. “I miss her terribly. She was the only sibling I had here and now she is gone. It just keeps getting harder and harder for those of us who are illegal,” said Noreen in a voice tight with emotion.

Noreen's mother Breda told the Irish Voice that their family Christmas isn't the same without all her sons and daughters present.

“Oh my God almighty, it's heartbreaking when all the family aren't together on the day. It's a very sad time,” she said. Breda is very optimistic that this will be the last Christmas Noreen will miss out on.

“We've been hearing all good things about immigration so we're very hopeful that all the family will be together next year,” she says. Breda goes on to explain that herself and her husband travel back and forth a few times a year to see their daughter, but she feels it still doesn't compensate for not having their eldest daughter sitting with them around the Christmas dinner table.

To make the holiday season a little easier on Noreen, her father, Pat will ring in the New Year with his daughter in Boston. He will arrive in Logan airport on December 29.

“I find it very hard ringing her and telling her about happy occasions because I know it makes her sad, even something as simple as telling her that I'm making bacon and cabbage gets me thinking, am I making her lonesome?” said Breda.

Noreen's sister Marion returned home last April because being undocumented took its toll on her.

“It was four years and I felt my time was up. I was very homesick and I couldn't do it anymore. I know exactly how my sister feels because I spent four years away myself at this time of the year and it was always so hard,” says Marion, who is glad to have the opportunity to participate in a family Christmas once again.

Gavin, from Co. Cavan, who has been undocumented for nine years, is “fed up living in the shadows.” He said that he is trying not to put too much emphasis on Christmas in New York and just doesn't think about it.

“I just grin and bear it and look forward to January when I can get back to working with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform on getting us visas and putting pressure on the relevant people to help us,” he said.

“I still think a lot of work has to be done and the House of Representatives won't be a push over either, but on the bright side they are more approachable on the issue than the House was this summer,” said Gavin alluding to the recent success of the Democrats in the midterm elections. Gavin looks forward to 2007 where he believes he will have the option to travel freely to Ireland and spend the rest of his Christmases with his family back home.

Pamela, from Co. Tyrone, new to the business of being undocumented (she was on a J-1 visa when she came here two years ago but she struck out when she tried to renew it so she decided to remain here illegally) will spend her first Christmas in New York alone.

“I can't even imagine what it will be like. I've never missed a family Christmas in my life. No matter where we are located in the world my family always come together for Christmas,” she explained.

Pamela has six brothers and two sisters, all of whom will be celebrating Christmas without her.

“The worst of it,” claims Pamela, “is I have a sister and a brother here who are here with me but are legal so they are going home next week for 10 days. That's the hardest for me because we are divided.”

Pamela's father Patrick, who lived in San Francisco in the 1970s, feels that it's an “utter disgrace that my children can't be all together on Christmas.”

He said when Pamela called to inform him that she wouldn't be coming home he said the first thought he had was explaining it to her heartbroken mother. It is the hope and prayers of Patrick and his family that immigration reform will be put in place this coming year.

“I hope to God that it will get easier on Pamela and all the people who are illegal. I can tell you this, if the American government don't do something to rectify the issue this year then the Irish in America will be no more!” he said.

“Being here in the U.S. and having the phone ring on Christmas day is heartbreaking. All your family are on the other end of the line telling me about all their gifts, their plans for the rest of the day and how much they miss me,” says Norma from North Kerry, who will spend her third Christmas away from her family.

She goes on to say that she usually spends the remainder of Christmas day weeping. “It's extra hard this year because my sister had a beautiful baby girl and I'm missing her first Christmas,” she added.

Norma’s grandmother passed away in January and that was also an emotionally tough time.

“ I was the only member of my family not at the funeral, it was so hard. Even my cousins living in the States were there. I'm the only one who is illegal,” says Norma.

She will give her life in New York another six months and then it is home bound for the Kerry girl. “My sister is getting married so I wouldn't miss that for the world. I'm hoping that by then we will have some sort of visa. Only time will tell,” she says.

Marie, Norma's sister, expressed her upset about not having her sister home with them for the Christmas. “It's horrible not having my oldest sister around for important family events, and this Christmas is no exception. When we found out that we were having a baby we knew it would be very difficult telling Norma because she was there before for the birth of my son Andrew and we knew that meant the world to her,” said Marie, who recently gave birth to Norma's niece, Hannah,

“All the family are hoping and praying that by June when Norma comes home for the my wedding that she will have some sort of visa so she can return to the life she so obviously has made over there,” Marie added.

Angela, mother of Samantha from Dublin, said she especially misses her undocumented daughter when she is out doing the Christmas shopping, a customary event shared by mother and daughter back in the day when Samantha resided at home.

“I was shopping in the city with my other daughter today and Sam texted her younger sister from New York. I told Elizabeth to text her back and tell her we're shopping and we miss her, Elizabeth said, 'No mom, that would upset Samantha too much,'” Angela said.

Angela tells the Irish Voice that she dreads Christmas morning when it's her turn to speak to Samantha on the phone. “I find it so emotional, once we say hello to each other we are both crying. It's very hard! I don't know how to put it into words. I just miss Samantha dreadfully,” said her heartbroken mother.

Samantha has a niece who will be confirmed in May. “The child would love more than anything to have Samantha there as her sponsor, and I know it's breaking Samantha's heart not to be able to stand for her,” she says.

Samantha describes being undocumented in New York as “being in prison, but prison is beautiful.” She feels that without a doubt there will be positive action on legalizing the Irish in the U.S.

“Something will happen; there will be immigration reform. The Irish government will do something this coming year, I just know it,” she said.

Angela wears the ILIR green wristband, supporting immigration reform and she has promised not to remove it until Samantha is able to come home to Dublin for Christmas.

It is striking how many families feel that 2007 is the year of action on immigration reform.

“It is make or break,” says Samantha. “We all know it, both here and in Ireland. The Irish community will be decimated in America if we don't get the breakthrough this year. It is time for everyone to pitch in.”