A Mexican family in Minneapolis is living in lockdown, terrified of deportation raids under President Trump’s second-term immigration crackdown.
MINNEAPOLIS: For two months, a Mexican family has been living as prisoners in their own home.
Ana, Carlos and their son Luis have barricaded their door and keep the curtains permanently closed, terrified of being swept up in the federal immigration raids sweeping their city.
“It’s inhuman to live like this, a prisoner in your own home,” Ana told AFP, using a pseudonym for her family’s safety.
The 47-year-old mother fears for her four children every time they leave, despite three being US-born citizens.
Her 15-year-old son Luis, born in Mexico, is not allowed outside.
He dreams of simple freedoms, like walking to a fast-food restaurant down the street.
“Right now it’s literally so close, but so far,” he said.
The family’s American dream has turned into a nightmare under President Donald Trump’s second term.
Armed, masked agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have intensified street-level operations in Democratic strongholds like Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Chicago.
Carlos, 43, feels betrayed.
He and Ana have work permits and have paid nearly USD 11,000 in legal fees for visa applications.
“When we realized Trump had removed the protection (of the work permit) against deportation, we felt as if he swindled us,” he said.
“I don’t think we deserve this. We are not criminals.”
Their financial situation is now desperate.
Normally earning USD 6,000 a month from Carlos’s countertop installation work and Ana’s cooking jobs, they have had no income since December.
They borrowed money to pay January’s USD 2,200 rent and don’t know how they will pay next month’s.
The raids, part of “Operation Metro Surge,” have raised concerns about the targeting of innocent people.
In Los Angeles last summer, more than half of those detained in similar sweeps had no criminal record.
The operations have turned deadly in Minneapolis, where two US citizens were shot and killed by federal agents this month.
Carlos recalls that raids during Trump’s first term felt more targeted at actual criminals.
Now, the family is consumed by fear and uncertainty.
“What if it never stops?” Carlos asked.
“The president has three years to go, three years is a long time.”
Ana sometimes imagines returning to Mexico, but her children’s dreams anchor her to the United States.
For now, the family remains in hiding, hoping the agents hunting immigrants in Minnesota will be sent somewhere else.
