I’m a Latino preparing for Trump’s mass deportation of migrants | Close Up

After moving to the US from Honduras with his mother and three sisters, Jorge Paz Reyes still recalls how it felt during the first few months of his fifth grade year. The adjustment was difficult.

“I used to cry every morning. He says in response to a conversation they had, “to the point where my mother got tired of me.” “She sat me down and said, ‘ Jorge, you can’t cry all the time. I can’t come pick you up from school every day, otherwise, I won’t be able to feed you. ‘”

Jorge was born and raised in New York City as an undocumented child and is now active in Mixteca, a nonprofit that provides free health and education to the immigrant community there. He is currently a permanent resident who is requesting citizenship through a special juvenile program. However, some of his relatives are still undocumented and fear being deported as a result of the new administration. “I have someone really close to me that is undocumented and I might lose her because of Donald Trump”, says Jorge, referencing President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportation.

Trump’s campaign pledge to deport up to 12 million undocumented immigrants has sparked widespread concern and anxiety, particularly among the millions of people who have spent years in the country, established careers, and raised families. Trump discussed using the US military to impose his deportation plan, including setting up a national emergency if necessary, after winning the election in November of last year.

For activists like Jorge, who live and work closely with immigrant communities, this promise has become a tangible fear. Watch the most recent Close Up episode, “Trump’s Deportation Nation,” to learn how neighborhood leaders like Jorge are getting ready for a potential mass deportation.

Director: Taimi Arvidson

Producer: Leo Hamelin

Director of Photography: Daniel Vergara

Additional Camera: Eric Arthur Fernandez, Nick Midwig

Writer: Tierney Bonini

Editor: Antonia Perello, Catherine Hallinan

Executive Producer: Tierney Bonini

Source: Aljazeera