There are about 14 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who live in fear of being deported. Many are taking extreme steps to stay hidden from immigration agents who are searching neighborhoods for “illegals.”
Residents and groups that support immigrant rights told AFP news that the worry about deportation is making many immigrants go underground and pull their kids out of schools to avoid getting caught.
To help each other, some immigrants are joining online groups on WhatsApp to share information about when immigration agents might be near them. For example, Rosario (a fake name), a 35-year-old mom of two, came to the U.S. in 2021. She is hiding in her home in Washington and often checks these community groups for updates, even if the information isn’t always accurate.
She said, “You feel a little safer when you stay informed, but the fear is always there.” Rosario said she looks out her window, worried about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
While there have been more raids, the number of deportation flights has not changed much since Donald Trump became president on January 20. However, many people are shocked by Trump’s words and tactics, like publicizing raids and sharing unsettling videos of deportees.
A leader of an immigrant advocacy group in Washington said, “In this scary time, it’s hard to know what’s true and what isn’t.” He asked to remain anonymous. Last month, a video claiming to show immigration arrests turned out to be fake after AFP fact-checkers investigated it. Another video showing a Colombian woman being deported was also made-up, created by an American YouTuber in 2023.
This fear is made worse because the Trump administration did not protect places like schools, hospitals, and churches from being targeted by immigration agents. Messages about raids in these areas keep undocumented migrants on edge.
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