"Years Of Fear, Years Of Silence": Immigrants In Hiding Facing Deportation

President Donald Trump's second presidency has brought about a wave of anxiety among undocumented workers, as mass deportations have become a cornerstone of his administration. The community is on edge, fearing arrests and family separations. Trump has signed an executive order allocating military resources to the US-Mexico border and opened the Guantánamo Bay prison in Cuba to detain undocumented migrants.

The Department of Homeland Security has also permitted ICE arrests in sensitive locations like hospitals, schools, and places of worship. Furthermore, Trump plans to reopen family detention centers, exacerbating the climate of fear. A single parent and construction worker in Texas, who received immigration protection under the Biden administration, expressed her daily fears to The Guardian: "Every day I wake up and walk out the door, I go with the hope of going to work, but with the fear of not being able to come back."

She worries about her family's potential separation, as she has only one child born in the US, who might be able to return, while she and her other children would not. Despite living in the US for 10 years, obtaining documentation has been a challenging process. She eventually received temporary status and work authorisation after experiencing wage theft, thanks to the deferred action program.

"Unfortunately, these next few years will be years of fear, years of silence," she said. "I believe the anti-immigrant pushes are racist. People have been taken away without criminal records. We used to have the ability to pay fines before because we didn't have criminal records, but I've heard from other immigrants, anyone being taken into custody by Ice, regardless of their situation, will be deported."

The construction worker's fears are echoed by another undocumented worker in Texas, who faces a "constant fear" of workplace raids or family separations. Andres Surquia of Georgia, who has immigration protection through deferred action, is also anxious about Trump's plans to remove these protections. Trump's campaign assertions have perpetuated the narrative that immigrants are criminals taking jobs from American citizens.

However, an October 2024 report by the Economic Policy Institute highlights the benefits of immigration, including enabling economic growth, paying nearly $100 billion in taxes annually, and noting that mass deportations lead to job losses for US-born workers due to reduced local demand output. As the Trump administration continues to push for mass deportations, the undocumented community remains in a state of fear and uncertainty, with many worrying about their future and the potential separation from their loved ones.