California family leaves U.S. amid fear of ICE raids
Shreedhar Rathi | Feb 21, 2025, 09:55 IST
( Image credit : AP )
A family from Chula Vista left the United States due to fear of ICE raids under Trump's immigration policies. Despite following legal procedures, they chose to relocate to Mexico, fearing for their undocumented parents' safety and struggling with the evolving immigration laws.
A California family has made the difficult decision to leave the United States, citing fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids under President Donald Trump’s latest immigration policies.
The family of five from Chula Vista packed up their belongings and departed on Feb. 7, heading to Mexico after weeks of anxiety over intensified ICE operations.
“We were in constant fear and anxiety,” said Anna, 29, one of the family members, in an interview with San Diego’s KGTV. “It got to a point where we couldn't eat or sleep.”
The move comes in response to Trump’s latest immigration crackdown, which has resulted in thousands of deportations. According to an ICE report on X, the agency arrested 8,276 people between Jan. 22 and Jan. 31 and issued 6,577 detainers for individuals flagged for deportation.
“All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” Trump declared during his inaugural address.
Since taking office, Trump has also signed executive orders declaring a national emergency at the southern border and ending birthright citizenship.
Anna’s parents originally immigrated to San Diego from Mexico in 1997. Her father held an E-2 visa, but after the restaurant he worked for dissolved its investment group, they were unable to renew it. With no sponsorship options, their legal status lapsed, but they remained in the U.S.
Though Anna is a Dreamer under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and her two younger sisters—ages 20 and 17—are U.S. citizens, she feared for her undocumented parents.
“My biggest fear was hearing that my dad got picked up in one of the ICE raids, or that my mom got detained while walking to the corner store,” Anna said.
Since her parents had no clear pathway to citizenship, Anna said the family ultimately felt their only option was to leave and start the legal process from outside the country.
“Leaving a country that has been my home for the past 30 years felt surreal,” she told ABC News. “It felt like the rug was pulled from under us.”
Despite following legal procedures and paying thousands of dollars in visa and legal fees, Anna said the evolving immigration laws made it nearly impossible for her parents to stay.
“If the laws were realistic and provided a pathway to citizenship, we wouldn’t have to go through this,” she said.
The family is currently staying with a friend near Ensenada while trying to reach Mexico City, but they are struggling financially with no immediate employment prospects.
Asked about their future, Anna admitted it feels uncertain.
“It’s like looking in soapy water,” she said. “You know something is there, but you don’t know how you’ll reach it.”
For safety reasons, the family has chosen to remain anonymous.
The family of five from Chula Vista packed up their belongings and departed on Feb. 7, heading to Mexico after weeks of anxiety over intensified ICE operations.
“We were in constant fear and anxiety,” said Anna, 29, one of the family members, in an interview with San Diego’s KGTV. “It got to a point where we couldn't eat or sleep.”
The move comes in response to Trump’s latest immigration crackdown, which has resulted in thousands of deportations. According to an ICE report on X, the agency arrested 8,276 people between Jan. 22 and Jan. 31 and issued 6,577 detainers for individuals flagged for deportation.
“All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” Trump declared during his inaugural address.
Since taking office, Trump has also signed executive orders declaring a national emergency at the southern border and ending birthright citizenship.
A Family’s Legal Struggles
Though Anna is a Dreamer under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and her two younger sisters—ages 20 and 17—are U.S. citizens, she feared for her undocumented parents.
“My biggest fear was hearing that my dad got picked up in one of the ICE raids, or that my mom got detained while walking to the corner store,” Anna said.
Since her parents had no clear pathway to citizenship, Anna said the family ultimately felt their only option was to leave and start the legal process from outside the country.
“Leaving a country that has been my home for the past 30 years felt surreal,” she told ABC News. “It felt like the rug was pulled from under us.”
Despite following legal procedures and paying thousands of dollars in visa and legal fees, Anna said the evolving immigration laws made it nearly impossible for her parents to stay.
“If the laws were realistic and provided a pathway to citizenship, we wouldn’t have to go through this,” she said.
An Uncertain Future in Mexico
Asked about their future, Anna admitted it feels uncertain.
“It’s like looking in soapy water,” she said. “You know something is there, but you don’t know how you’ll reach it.”
For safety reasons, the family has chosen to remain anonymous.