This First Person piece is written by Luisa Ortiz-Garza, who lives in Toronto and is an organizer with the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change. For more information about CBC’s First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
I was outside the federal Liberal cabinet retreat in Hamilton, leading a rally of 200 migrants, undocumented people and supporters. I stood under a bright pink banner that read “Status For All.” I started my speech by introducing myself.
“My name is Luisa and I was undocumented.”
That was in January 2023. To this day, saying that I was undocumented aloud is scary.
I was 24 when I
