In constant fear of being detained, Luz has lived in the country for 17 years, where she has built a life, pays taxes and has an American citizen daughter. Despite official assurances that only criminals are targeted in ICE operations, reports and images show indiscriminate arrests.
The absence of a legal path to regularization and the climate of persecution are transforming the daily lives of thousands of families, who now live between invisibility and the fear of deportation.
Luz lives with her husband and young daughter in a suburb of Washington DC. Every day, fear accompanies her. The testimony, shared anonymously, is a raw portrait of the reality of thousands of undocumented migrants in the United States under the administration of Donald Trump.
“I’m afraid to leave the house. I’m afraid of being detained. I’m afraid that, just because they see me as a Latina woman, I’ll be taken away.”
Luz’s daughter was born in the USA and is an American citizen. But that doesn’t protect the parents, both of whom are Mexican and undocumented.
“I’m completely undocumented. I don’t have status in this country. And unfortunately, for legal reasons, there’s no way to get it. There’s not even a path.”
The immigration policy led by Tom Homan, Trump’s border adviser, aims to deport everyone in the country illegally.
“We’re not sweeping neighborhoods. We’re not looking for non-criminals. But if we find them during operations, they will be arrested.”
However, what is seen on the streets contradicts this statement. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents, without warrants and wearing vests that read “POLICE”, have made arrests in Latino neighborhoods. In one of the cases filmed, three men were handcuffed and taken away in unmarked cars because they were unable to prove, at the time, that they had the legal right to be in the country.
Luz arrived in the United States at the age of 16 and crossed the border illegally.
“My goal has always been to become a better version of myself, to learn English.”
Today, he speaks fluently and contributes to society. They have identification, access to healthcare and pay taxes.
“It’s important for people to know that, even though we are here illegally, we are able to interact and be part of the community. My father migrated to give us education, food, clothing, a safe home. I’m very grateful for that.”
Luz’s story is common among the stories of economic migrants seeking a better life. But the current climate in the United States has made this life unsustainable.
“Last week, I had to pick up my daughter from school. I was late. When I arrived, she was crying. She said to me, ‘Mom, I thought you had been taken. I thought I wouldn’t see you again.'”
The Trump administration argues that being in the country illegally is cheating the system. Critics of the new policy argue that there should be an amnesty for non-criminals already integrated into society. But this hypothesis is not on the table.
Meanwhile, Luz and thousands like her live in constant fear. “I’ve never felt this way before. Fear is with me all the time.”
