They Were Brought to the U.S. as Kids - Then Sent Back to a Country They Barely Know Jaime Jacques - Narratively
go to original February 7, 2017

Trailer for ‘Una Vida, Dos Paises’ by Tatyana Kleyn and Ben Donnellon, sheds light on various problems people encounter after they return to Mexico (Ben Donnellon)

The San Ysidro border crossing between San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico, is the busiest in the western world, and up until the early 2000s it was surprisingly porous. For decades, Latin American families furtively crossed by the millions, determined to find a better life north of Mexico, and many of them did.

But an era of mass deportations began with Bush and gained momentum under Obama, who oversaw the deportation of 2.7 million people, more than any other president in the history of the United States.

Trump has pledged to build a wall and deport three million more undocumented people, at times saying he will focus only on those with criminal records. Obama used similar rhetoric in 2014 when he said: “Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mom that’s working hard to provide for her kids.” But the reality on the other side of the border is not so black and white.

Tijuana is teeming with deportees from all walks of life, struggling to survive. Many of them spent their entire lives as undocumented Americans before being deported back to Mexico, a country they never knew, didn’t remember, and had no ties to. For them, Trump’s hard line on immigration is nothing new, but they are still nervous about what the future holds.

Check out some of their stories at Narratively

Related: Central American Children Living with Violence and Without Recourse (Oxfam America)

Related: History Shows Trump Will Face Legal Challenges to Detaining Immigrants (The Conversation)

Related: 'What Will Happen to Me Now?' Immigrants, Border Residents React to Trump Immigration Orders (AZCentral)

Related: President Trump's Executive Order Halts Refugee Program for Central American Kids (The Los Angeles Times)

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