"Orange Is the New Black" actress Diane Guerrero opens up about her family being deported when she was just 14 years old in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times.

"In 'Orange Is the New Black,' I play Maritza Ramos, a tough Latina from the 'hood. In 'Jane the Virgin,' I play Lina, Jane's best friend and a funny know-it-all who is quick to offer advice," she said. "I love both parts, but they're fiction. My real story is this: I am the citizen daughter of immigrant parents who were deported when I was 14. My older brother was also deported."

The Colombian-American actress talked about something that touches millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

"Throughout my childhood I watched my parents try to become legal but to no avail. They lost their money to people they believed to be attorneys, but who ultimately never helped," Guerrero said. "That meant my childhood was haunted by the fear that they would be deported. If I didn't see anyone when I walked in the door after school, I panicked."

Her constant fear became reality at the age of 14.

"I came home from school to an empty house," the actress wrote. "Lights were on and dinner had been started, but my family wasn't there. Neighbors broke the news that my parents had been taken away by immigration officers, and just like that, my stable family life was over. They would have liked to fight deportation, but without a lawyer and an immigration system that rarely gives judges the discretion to allow families to stay together, they never had a chance."

Guerrero was left to take care of herself.

"Not a single person at any level of government took any note of me. No one checked to see if I had a place to live or food to eat, and at 14, I found myself basically on my own," she explained.

On Monday, Guerrero also appeared on CNN's "New Day," where she spoke about the deportation through tears:


Guerrero's story is common for many children separated from their families as a result of immigration policies and comes at a time when President Barack Obama is contemplating executive action to protect nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Related