Being denied access into the United States could be any immigrant’s nightmare.

The Kent State Catholic Student Association (CSA) created a four-table station of what the immigration process would look like in order to give students an idea of an immigrant’s perspective. 

Immigration simulation from KentWired.com on Vimeo.

CSA member Anthony Dworning said this event was influenced by the CSA group trip to Texas.

“After the Catholic Student Association went down to Texas, we actually got a first witness of how difficult it is for anybody fleeing their home countries to come into our country,” Dworning said. “It is not just a day process. This could go on for days or decades and that’s what the simulation was here to simulate today.”

Students went through the process, stopping at each table and answering questions about birthplace, family health history and even prosecution of religion, race or any other reason.

Jason Tsyndrina went through the immigration simulation, receiving the immigrant identity of Raoul who lives in El Salvador and is trying to leave his country due to terrorist attacks. Each time Raoul answered “yes,” he came closer to receiving access to the United States. At the end of the four table exercise he was given access to the United States.

“The act of having to move here is definitely hard and traumatizing because they have to leave their home and if they don’t know the language very well, then it just makes it that much harder … they have to understand what’s actually happening,” Tsyndrina said.

The immigration simulation aimed to inform students of the true realities of the immigration process.

Julia Hazel is a reporter for TV2, contact her at [email protected].