Nicole Solis-Sison on the day she became a naturalized citizen. Solis-Sison first came to the U.S. from the Philippines when she was 7. Courtesy of Nicole Solis-Sison hide caption

Courtesy of Nicole Solis-Sison

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Nicole Solis-Sison moved to America when she was 7 years old. Her parents and immediate family were fleeing the Philippine government and sought asylum in the U.S.

When they landed in Los Angeles, Solis-Sison thought their stay would be temporary. Eventually, once things calmed down in her home country, they would return. That wasn't the case.

"The Philippine government pursued us in international immigration territory and demanded that we be sent back," she told NPR.

That's when an agent with the then-Immigration and Naturalization Services agency — which has since been renamed Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE — showed up to her house. They were prepared to be deported.…