Immigrants try to be “invisible” to ICE!
Tucson, US, Dec 23 (EFE).- By María León
Immigrant families across the United States are facing Christmas separated from loved ones and living in fear of detention, as intensified immigration enforcement under United States President Donald Trump’s administration fuels arrests, raids, and deportations nationwide.
Many migrants say they are trying to stay “invisible” to agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), avoiding public spaces and even family celebrations to reduce the risk of being detained.
“I knew it could happen at any moment, but they had to go to work to pay the bills,” Mexican immigrant María Ramos told EFE in Tucson, Arizona, where her husband and eldest son were arrested while working in landscaping.
“My husband and my son are not criminals. They never hurt anyone, and now they are in a detention center,” she said.
Arrests rise nationwide
More than 220,000 migrants have been arrested by ICE since Trump returned to the White House on Jan. 20, according to data from the Deportation Data Project.
Trump’s second term began with a sweeping crackdown on migration, including large-scale raids and the deployments of federal agents to major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington.
Although Arizona, governed by Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, has not seen the deployment of federal troops, immigration raids remain common in the border state.
“This Christmas will be very sad,” Ramos said. “I’m even thinking about taking down all the decorations before Christmas Day.”
The family, who lived in the US without legal status for 25 years, also has two US citizen children, who fear their mother could be detained as well.
Fear of deportation grows
In Arizona, Venezuelan immigrant Ana Morán, 29, fears her husband could be transferred to ICE custody and deported at any moment.
He has been held in the Pima County jail in Tucson since August, accused of a robbery she says never occurred.
“I don’t understand how they say my husband committed this crime if I was always with him,” Morán told EFE. “Deliveries only take a few minutes.”
The couple entered the US two and a half years ago through the Nogales border crossing after securing an asylum appointment via the CBP One app, introduced during the administration of former United States President Joe Biden.
The Trump administration now promotes the same app for voluntary self-deportation, offering migrants 1,000 dollars and the possibility of returning legally in the future.
Morán said she is considering leaving voluntarily, despite having a work permit and a pending asylum case.
‘Make me invisible’
The situation is compounded by strained relations between Washington and Caracas.
“We Venezuelans don’t even have a consulate to ask for help,” Morán said. “If ICE deports us, we don’t even know where they would send us.”
Since Jan. 20, nearly two million migrants have self-deported, according to the Department of Homeland Security, while more than 600,000 have been forcibly removed.
Morán’s family is scheduled to appear before an immigration court in May, but she fears her husband’s legal troubles could affect her case.
“When I leave my house, I pray: God, make me invisible, make me invisible, so I can return to my children,” she said. EFE
ra/seo
