Woman Working In US For 36 Years Self-Deports To Mexico, Fearing ICE Crackdown

NDTV

13-07-2025

A woman living in the US for 36 years has self-deported to Mexico, having lived in the country since the age of 15, according to a report in People. Regina Higuera decided to return to her home country, fearing for her family members, as she did not have enough money to apply for documentation. The 51-year-old worked as a garment worker in Los Angeles, but her work permit had expired years ago.
Afraid of being interrogated or detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at the Los Angeles International Airport, Ms Higuera and her family drove down to Tijuana, Mexico, and crossed the border to reach TIJ International Airport. From there, Ms Higuera flew into Mexico City and drove nearly five hours to Guerrero, Mexico.
"We were heartbroken that she felt so scared for her safety that she had to make this decision, but we were ultimately supportive," her daughter, Julie Ear, who has been documenting the ordeal on social media, told the outlet.
Ms Higuera had originally planned to return home once she retired from the job but given the tense political climate, she decided to leave the country on her own terms. Ms Ear said her mother has no criminal record and is a hard-working taxpayer who has worked 12-hour shifts since 15.
Ms Ear and her siblings are planning to visit their mother in August. Their stepfather is also planning to move to Mexico with Ms Higuera very soon.
"She is trying to lean on family out there so she doesn't feel lonely, but she is having a hard time adjusting to the cultural differences...they do things differently out there," Ms Ear said.
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The Donald Trump administration has given orders to ICE to arrest 3,000 immigrants each day. Deporting illegals was one of the biggest planks of Mr Trump's election campaign, but the manner in which ICE has been going about its business has invited criticism.
According to a recent report by The Washington Post, ICE is now planning to deport migrants with as little as six hours of advance notice to countries that are not their own-- even without any guarantees of safety from the receiving nations.
In case of deportation to countries with no "diplomatic assurance", deportees will ideally receive a notice 24 hours in advance. However, in "exigent circumstances," removal can be carried out within only six hours.