Gabriela entered the United States more than two decades ago, gasping for breath under a pile of corn stalks in the boot of a smuggler’s car.
Now a housekeeper in Maryland, the Bolivian national is one of at least 13 million undocumented migrants living in the US – an umbrella term that includes those who entered the US illegally, overstayed their visas or have protected status to avoid deportation.
Across the US, migrants like Gabriela are grappling with what the incoming Trump administration’s vow to conduct mass deportations could mean for their future.
In over a dozen interviews, undocumented immigrants said it was a topic of heated discussion in their communities, WhatsApp groups and social media.
Some, like Gabriela, believe it won’t impact them at all.
“I’m not scared at all, actually,” she said. “That’s for criminals to worry about. I pay taxes, and I work.”
“In any case, I’m undocumented,” she added. “[So] how would they even know about me?”
Kit The Coyote
Article URL : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c79zxjj0j55o