CHICAGO – For many American-born children, the knock at the door from immigration agents isn’t just a headline — it’s a nightmare that can tear their families apart.
What we know:
“I grew up with my mom and I’m worried for her because she’s no criminal, you know? She’s a hardworking woman. There are so many immigrants that are here that have come here for so many years, right, to make their dream, right. To give their kids a better life and things like that, you know, and it’s not fair. You know, ICE comes in here, you know, trying to take innocent people. You should take the criminals… actually make them have some kind of consequences, not innocent people,” Angelina said.
On the very day we met Angelina, rumors of ICE in a nearby neighborhood sent waves of panic through the Lake View East community — and triggered a phone call no teenager should ever have to receive.
“I get a call from my mom and a text message, saying that ICE was here. And I get scared because my mom, she’s Mexican,” Angelina said.
It started with a few viral images. People feared ICE agents were nearby. It turned out to be a U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigation — but that didn’t stop word from spreading fast.
Through a shelter once dedicated to newly-arrived migrants, families braced themselves. Children were pulled from school. Doors were locked.
One of those calls went to Angelina, a high school senior.
“I’m just scared for my mom and for all the people that I care about,” she said.
Angelina ran — not just home, but toward the possibility that her world might already be unraveling. At just 17, she knows exactly what’s at stake: her mother, an undocumented immigrant, and her 5-year-old sister who would have no one else left.
“I’m 17 years old, and yes, I am willing to, if something happens to my mom, I’m willing to take care of my sister until everything gets fixed. And if I have to go with my mom to Mexico,” Angelina said.
In Chicago — home to one of the largest immigrant populations in the country — fear of deportation isn’t abstract. It’s constant. It’s daily. And for teens like Angelina, it’s reshaping what childhood looks like.
“My mom wakes up 6 in the morning. She gets me ready, she tells me, ‘Angelina, come on, wake up. It’s another day. Let’s say thanks to God.’ My mom takes care of my sister, she drops her off from school. I go on my own and then my mom goes to work. But now, it’s getting hard to go to work, especially with this time…,” Angelina said.
What’s next:
Angelina is a proud member of the Junior ROTC — a federal program that teaches citizenship, service and personal responsibility.
Through this experience, she has found a sense of purpose, rooted in her family’s journey.
Inspired by her mother’s struggles and resilience, she now dreams of dedicating her life to helping others in similar situations — to fight for justice.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX 32’s Tia Ewing.
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