Cold as ICE

These thoughts were written by Myla, one of our 2020 summer interns. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.

Imagine sleeping on a cold, concrete floor with a thermal blanket. When you open your eyes, you discover that you’re in an overcrowded cage with young, scared children. Many are wearing dirty, old clothes soaked in tears. None of them have books or toys to keep them entertained. Many cry out for their mother or father. But none of them will receive comfort from their parents. This is what the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does to families. Until recently, they have enforced the separation of immigrant families for the past four years. Last month, a federal judge ordered that all children held in ICE’s custody for more than 20 days must be released by July 17. However, this decision was due to the spread of COVID-19 and not the horrific conditions of ICE’s facilities. Although I am happy that the children were released, I am concerned about the children whose parents have already been deported back to their home country. This order excludes the release of parents who are currently in ICE’s custody. With this in mind, the agency continues to traumatize thousands of migrant families.

The Netflix Documentary, Living Undocumented follows the lives of many undocumented immigrants. The film focuses on the complex relationship between immigrants and the United States government. Many families are in hiding due to the fear of being discovered by ICE. A large majority are forced to have regular check-ins with the agency and may be detained. Some entered the United States illegally while fleeing from war torn countries. Others came here on a valid visa that soon expired. Some have documentation that will never lead to citizenship such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA allows individuals who were illegally brought to the United States as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation. As a result, they become eligible for a work permit. While most of the families have a different journey to America, all of them are determined to live the American dream.

While all of the immigrant’s stories were heart-wrenching, the person who pulled at my heartstrings the most was Alejandra Juarez. While she is an immigrant, her husband is a Marine veteran and she has two daughters who are natural born citizens. Her journey to the US began when she illegally entered the country in 1998, shortly after turning 18. With her life in danger, Alejandra tried to apply for a work visa three times and was denied. Therefore, she had to enter through the port of entry and falsely claim to be a US citizen. In 2013, her undocumented status was discovered during a routine traffic stop. Under the Obama administration, she only checked-in with the agency twice a year. Following Trump’s election, she was suddenly notified that she had been slated for deportation. Interestingly enough, her husband voted for Trump because he believed that the current administration would only deport criminals. Of course, she was shocked because she has no criminal record and she’s a military spouse. Unfortunately, the current administration’s immigration policies classify all undocumented residents as high priorities for deportation. Since Alejandra was being deported, her husband decided that their youngest daughter, Estela should go back to Mexico with her. Now, she and Estela are living in a substandard apartment in her home country. Since their departure, Congressman Darren Soto introduced a bill in January 2019, the Protect Patriot Spouses Act, which would allow immigrant military spouses to obtain permanent residency. Sadly, the bill has not progressed since February 2019. However, Alejandra and Estela still hope to return to the United States. 

Throughout the film, an overwhelming amount of anger and sadness hit me. While I’m not very emotional, I shed several tears. I was disappointed that families were being torn apart because undocumented immigrants were seen as a “threat” to our country. While this documentary is difficult to swallow, I believe every American needs to watch it. Living Undocumented opens your eyes to the inhumane treatment of immigrants who have continuously contributed to American society. People who have lived in our country for years only to be subjected to deportation due to the current administration’s zero tolerance policy. Immigrants, documented and undocumented, diversify our lives in great ways. They contribute so much to our society from running small businesses and farming to creating the latest technology. Their remarkable strength, determination, and grit is inspiring. Undocumented immigrants are the embodiment of the American dream. Therefore, I consider them to be equally American.