Jesus Lara has been in the United States for 16 years. He has no criminal record. He first came to the attention of immigration authorities in 2008, when he was pulled over and found to be driving without a license. He was ordered to be removed in 2008 and lost his appeal in 2011, but in 2014 he was granted a two-year stay of removal, which required him to check in with immigration authorities regularly. It also allowed him to get a work permit, which he did. “In New York, the bill still allows 17-year-olds to marry with judicial approval, and unfortunately, most of the children who marry in the United States are 17,” Reiss tellsTeen Vogue “My mom wouldn’t be able to handle all the things that would be needed. She wouldn’t be able to pay the bills. We would have less food. My dad pays the bills. If my dad gets deported, I don’t know what we’ll do. I will have to take care of my siblings to help my mom,” Eric says. “We wouldn’t be able to eat, to do anything fun. It would be really hard. I just don’t know." She knew she had to leave and started doing research, which led her to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. She called and explained her situation, and they gave her a list of organizations that could help. It was easier for Trevicia to secure her divorce than it is for some young women: By the time she was 17, her husband was in prison — this time for sexually assaulting another woman. Her marriage ended, and Trevicia was on her own to figure out what came next as a single mother with a child she was motivated to raise right.