How Donald Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Has Impacted Lives | US News

While campaigning, Donald Trump vowed to launch the largest mass deportation operation ever, criticizing illegal immigration and promising to tighten control over those entering through the southern border.

Immigrant communities nationwide braced themselves for the repercussions of his second term, but few anticipated the rapid implementation of new policies during Trump’s first 100 days.

“I didn’t expect the administration to be so adept at instilling fear in millions,” states Adriana Jasso, who works for a Quaker organization that assists immigrants.

The American Friends Service Committee used to provide essentials like water and food to immigrants attempting to cross into the United States at the San Ysidro border, California, the largest port of entry in the country.

Numerous individuals would find themselves squeezed between towering metal fences, with Mexico on one side and the US on the other, awaiting processing.

Many had concluded perilous months-long journeys and were eager to reach out to their families and friends back home.

Gaps in the metal slats saw dozens of hands reaching out, holding phones and pleading for help to recharge them.

However, just months into Donald Trump‘s second term, the only remnant of the charities that once operated there is an abandoned white marquee tent, alongside the immigrants they assisted.

According to Adriana Jasso, her organization has not seen anyone other than border patrol or construction workers since mid-February.

Additional barbed wire has been installed along the fence, and construction efforts are underway to strengthen the metal slats.

As a helicopter flies overhead, a border patrol agent on a quad bike approaches our crew to inquire if we have permission to be at the border.

After a decline in numbers of immigrants attempting to cross without authorization towards the end of the Biden administration, those figures have plummeted again since Trump took office.

Millions voted for Trump, primarily influenced by immigration issues, and the situation at the southern border can be interpreted as a PR win for the administration.

Yet, even in this key area of immigration—a perceived strength—Trump’s approval ratings are slipping.

Some believe he has overstepped in his efforts to increase deportation numbers. Voters are divided over his approach to deporting Venezuelan men whom the administration asserts are gang members, sending them to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

The high-profile case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia stands out, as the White House acknowledged an “administrative error” in his deportation to El Salvador, yet he has not been restored.

Immigration advocacy groups have also pointed out instances where US citizen children were deported alongside their mothers, who the administration contends are here illegally.

President Trump wasted no time in implementing his immigration policy. On the very first day, he declared a national emergency at the southern border, effectively terminating all asylum requests within 13 minutes of taking office.

Sky News was present inside a migrant shelter in Piedras Negras, a Mexican town across from Texas, on Trump’s inaugural day.

We encountered Ericka Mendoza, a Guatemalan woman, who was in tears over receiving an email that canceled her long-awaited immigration appointment, which she hoped would secure her asylum.

One hundred days later, Mendoza has moved out of that migrant shelter due to its cost. However, she remains in Piedras Negras, hoping the president will reconsider and reopen asylum applications.

During the day, she works at a butcher shop, performing tasks like washing rags and sweeping, and at night she works in a parking garage. Her sons, aged 10 and 12, are currently out of school, and she is worried about their education.

She notes that there seem to be fewer migrants in the town now and believes some have resorted to crossing illegally over the Rio Grande.

“Many people around here saw that the application process was halted, with no appointments being made, leading some to seek the services of smugglers who charge between $7,000 to $10,000,” she explains.

As Mendoza reflects on the future, tears stream down her face.

She reveals that returning to Guatemala is not an option due to being a victim of domestic violence, with her abuser posing a continuous threat to her safety.

“I am uncertain about my next steps,” she shares. “Being an outsider often leads to rejection in job opportunities. Here, I’m left feeling hopeless, and all my dreams have crumbled in an instant.”

With a stroke of a pen, Donald Trump may have altered the trajectory of Ericka Mendoza’s life and countless others, both in the US and beyond.