Three families in Los Angeles are still grappling with the devastating aftermath of immigration raids that swept through the city last summer, part of a mass-deportation campaign that later militarised operations in Chicago, Washington DC, Portland and Minneapolis.
Noémi’s husband Jesús was arrested at his workplace, a car wash, and deported to Mexico despite having spent decades in the US and being the father of four US citizens. He was pressured into signing a document without his glasses, unknowingly giving up his right to remain.
The family visited him in Kiní, Mexico, but decided the children’s education and activities – including community college, music lessons, and sports – were best served by returning to Los Angeles. Now, daily life is filled with phone calls from Mexico, and children have taken on new responsibilities, such as walking the dogs alone.
Noémi has filed a petition for Jesús’s green card, but applications are backlogged. The family faces ongoing uncertainty, with young Gabriel missing his father at kindergarten graduation and Dhelainy considering a career in immigration law after advocating for their case.
