Mixed-status Modesto family worry about Trump administration's immigration policy

CBS News

28-01-2025

MODESTO — As President Trump's pledge to increase immigration enforcement begins, ICE is confirming crackdowns are ramping up in cities across the country.
Now, the fear factor is setting in for migrant families in California communities. One undocumented Modesto couple sat down with me to talk about their concerns.
Gabriella Mederos and Alfredo Renteria said they wanted to share their story to help others.
The couple are parents to a teenage son, Miguel, who was born in the U.S. and is a citizen. They own a Modesto printing business and have five employees. They're wondering what will come next.
I asked why they were willing to risk sharing their story and showing their identities on camera.
"It's simple. We want to help people wake up," Renteria said.
When asked if they were concerned about being deported, Mederos responded, "Yes because we don't have a fixed status. We are in a process, but we don't know what might happen."
"When you decided to come, were you aware of the risk that without documents, you could be deported?" I asked the couple.
"I already completed my degree in Mexico," Mederos said. "In 2010, I decided to come here due to a very dangerous situation. My life completely changed."
Mederos came with her father, paying a human smuggler often referred to as coyotes or polleros, to help her cross the border.
Renteria arrived on a tourist visa legally. When the visa expired, he never went back.
"Here, if you work, you'll come along successful," Renteria said.
Nonprofit immigrant rights groups like El Concilio California are now hosting crowded classrooms preparing undocumented immigrants with what to tell law enforcement if they are detained.
California Assemblymember Heath Flora is a Stanislaus County farmer, a Republican and a Trump supporter who says undocumented workers who do not have a criminal record should be encouraged to come forward to get legal papers without fearing deportation.
"I've supported President Trump. I support a secure border as well, but I think there is a right and a wrong way to do things, and I think that President Trump wrote a book about the art of the deal," Flora said. "I'm hoping that we come back and have a more comprehensive approach to immigration policy."
For Renteria and Mederos, their future as undocumented immigrants is uncertain.
"I never thought I would arrive in this country," Mederos said. "My greatest wish is that if we're able to gain legal status, that everything will be good for my son, my family — and to help others get inspired by my story."
This Modesto couple serves as a symbol for the U.S. immigration debate, seeking a citizenship solution. Renteria and Mederos are working on their citizenship process through El Concilio California.
Under current law for undocumented couples like them, it's tough to get legal status with no parent or spouse to petition them.