With Congress debating whether to write a roadmap for millions of aspiring citizens, I felt compelled to share my story with my community.

My name is Jorge Hurtado Guerrero and I am a father, a veteran, a student and a proud citizen of the United States of America. Growing up in Virginia, I was the first Hispanic student to graduate from my high school. I enlisted in the U.S. Navy when I was 18 and served honorably for more than eight years. Afterward, I decided to continue my studies at Gonzaga University, where I have just graduated with a degree in political science and communications studies.

I have worked hard, played by the rules and am now living the American Dream. Except for one painful reality: My wife, Gloria, mother to my three children, is undocumented. Any day, she could be taken away and forced to stay in Paraguay, away from our children.

This is an injustice and a travesty. Not one more family should be torn apart. We need Congress to act now to create a common-sense immigration process that recognizes the hardships and contributions of people moving here, keeps families together and creates a roadmap to citizenship for aspiring citizens.

Jorge Guerrero

Spokane