This 12-Year-Old Girl Gave An Emotional Speech About Fearing Her Mom's Deportation

"My mom is strong, beautiful, and brave. She is also a person who taught me how to speak up when I see things that aren’t fair."

I am about to give a speech in a crowd of thousands of people!! Please wish me luck!! It is not easy to talk about my fear of losing my family to immigration! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾#FamiliesBelongTogether #FancyFoodShow https://t.co/wxX7H2oTb6

A 12-year-old girl named Leah gave an emotional speech this weekend about her fear of her mother being deported.

Leah spoke as tens of thousands of people flooded streets on Saturday across the nation in protest of the Trump administration's policies on immigration, including the so-called "zero tolerance" policy that led to the separation of immigrant parents and their children at the border.

This 12-year-old girl delivers an impassioned plea for immigrant families at the "Families Belong Together" rally in Washington, D.C. https://t.co/tHkZ07gsvs https://t.co/rKzzP1RUU8

"My name is Leah. I am 12 years old and I'm from Miami, Florida. I am the proud daughter of a domestic worker who loves me very much," Leah told the crowd at the "Families Belong Together" march in Washington, DC. "My mom's job is very important. Unlike our government, she takes care of children as a nanny and makes sure they are healthy and safe.

"Our government instead harms children and deports parents every day.

"I am here today because the government is separating and detaining refugee parents and children at the border, who are looking for safety. Our government also continues to separate US citizen children like me from their parents every day.

"This is evil! It needs to stop! It makes me sad to know that children can’t be with their parents.

"I don’t understand why they are being so mean to us children. Don’t they know how much we love our families? Don’t they have a family, too? Why don’t they care about us children? Why do they hurt us like this?

"It is unfair that they get to spend time with their families today while there are children in detention centers and in cages all alone missing their parents who are thrown in jail."

The 12-year-old girl said that she deals with "constant fear."

"I live with the constant fear of losing my mom to deportation," she said. "My mom is strong, beautiful, and brave. She is also a person who taught me how to speak up when I see things that aren’t fair. ICE wants to take away my mom from me. I don't like to live with this fear.

"It’s scary. I can’t sleep. I can’t study. I am stressed. I am afraid that they will take my mom away while she is at work, out driving, or at home. I don’t understand why this administration won’t support mothers who just want a better life for their children.

"This needs to change.

"We cannot allow them to keep hurting families, communities, and children. I know that together we can make things better for families and kids."

Leah did not immediately return BuzzFeed News' request for comment, but she did post a video thanking everyone for their support.

"I would like to thank you for the love and support that you have given me," the young activist said. "Together, we will change this country to become a better one, to reunite families with peace and love."

Thank you all for your love and support! Together we will reunite children with their families and free their parents from detention! #EndFamiliyDetention #FamiiesBelongTogether https://t.co/bvBtQT3OhP

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