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Boston Globe
7 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Would you uproot your whole life for $1,000?
'If you download the CBP Home app and you safely self-deport, you will receive financial assistance, a free flight, and the chance to come back to America legally,' Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up The ads, which have been airing in both English and Spanish, are part of Advertisement Yet despite this aggressive approach, the concept of 'voluntary return' has historically failed to gain traction. Past US self-deportation efforts have drawn only a handful of takers out of hundreds of thousands eligible. Advertisement For instance, a pilot program in 2008 was abandoned after only eight people took up the offer to leave the country (it did not offer financial incentives, though), That's not unique to the United States. Pay-to-go policies, where governments offer money to noncitizens to depart voluntarily, have a lengthy global track record but typically fall short of expectations with very few recipients accepting the offer compared to initial policy goals, according to This year, only 5,000 people logged their voluntary return in the CBP Home app through early April in the United States, according to But there are In Chelsea, one community group has noticed the change. 'They have everything to lose,' Gladys Vega, president and CEO of Chelsea-based La Colaborativa, told me in an interview. 'The high cost of living here, the threat of trauma [if they are arrested], that their kids witness their detention, what the children will experience if the parents are grabbed by ICE, who will look after them?' But Vega also said that many immigrants are experiencing confusion and Advertisement Cristina Jiménez, cofounder of the immigrant youth-led nonprofit In the end, the self-deportation push is a tacit admission that mass deportations are financially, politically, and logistically challenging — even with the The administration can't really arrest and deport that many unauthorized immigrants. And it can't bribe them: Imagining that people will leave the only home that many of them have ever known for $1,000 just shows how little the Trump administration understands the immigrants it demonizes. But the administration can scare people — on that score, its campaign is working. Marcela García is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
Boston Globe
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
In the shadows of hope, fear shatters their American dreams
CHELSEA — Three thousand people were lined up to get free food from La Colaborativa, the nonprofit that supports Latinx immigrants in Greater Boston. 'Our community is very diverse, very blended,' says executive director Gladys Vega, who buys more food if the donated items are not enough. 'It's a very friendly atmosphere, and people feel very good about what we do.' However, the good vibes were shattered by three people who began videotaping and slinging insults. One of the females was particularly crude, staff members said. Advertisement Gladys Vega (left), executive director of La Colaborativa, and Jessica Armco, triage assistant, hugged an migrant after they helped her get her work permit. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff 'They were saying nasty things like, 'Get out of this country, you're worthless. We're calling ICE on you. Donny is going to come after you and I can't wait,'' says Vega. President Trump's plan to detain and deport undocumented migrants has sent sent a wave of worry through this diverse city. Federal immigration agents mobilized in a Market Basket parking lot last month. There was no major round-up of immigrants here, but people are still on edge. They worry agents will swoop in anytime, anywhere, any place. Fear is palpable on Broadway, the city's commercial heart. 'Living under the shadows, you hide,' says Vega. 'You don't tell your real name, you see someone white, you shy away. But then, when you wake up every morning, you go and work at a restaurant. You are cleaning the companies in the big office buildings. . . . America will not be America without the sweat and tears of the immigrants that are building this community.' A mural depicting activism in Chelsea. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Regular; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); font-weight: 600; font-style: normal; } @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Bold; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); font-weight: 600; font-style: normal; } #containerbullet{ text-align: center; margin: 0px 10px 10px 10px; background-color:#f4f4f4; padding: 25px; border-color: #333; max-width: 66%; margin: 20px auto; position: relative; } .hedbulletpoints { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Bold", "Impact", "Arial Narrow", "Helvetica", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1; color: #000; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 5px; text-align: left; padding:0px 16px 8px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; } .subhedbulletpoints { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Regular", "Impact", "Arial Narrow", "Helvetica", sans-serif; font-size:.9em; line-height: 1.2; color: #000; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 5px; text-align: left; padding:0px 16px 8px 0px; } .updatebullets { font-family:BentonSansCond-Regular; font-size:14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.75; color: #000; letter-spacing: 0.8px; margin: 5px 5px 5px 0px; text-align: left; } .updatebullets span{ font-family: "BentonSansCond-Bold", "Impact", "Arial Narrow", "Helvetica", sans-serif; } .linesupdates { width: 100%; display: block; border-bottom: 0px solid rgba(0,0,0,1); height: 2px; background: #000; } .sourceline { font-family:BentonSansCond-Regular; font-size:11px; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.75; color: #000; letter-spacing: 0.8px; margin: 20px 5px 5px 0px; text-align: left; } li { padding-top: 10px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 500px) { #containerbullet{ text-align: center; margin: 0px 3px 3px 3px; background-color:#f4f4f4; padding: 8px; border-color: #333; max-width: 100%; margin: 3px auto; position: relative; } .updatebullets { font-family:BentonSansCond-Regular; font-size:14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.75; color: #000; letter-spacing: 0.8px; margin: 0px 8px 0px 0px; text-align: left; } } How we reported this story The Globe interviewed these immigrants, seeking their unique perspectives on the present situation. Because of their fears of reprisal, we only use an initial from their name and they collaborated on their photographic portraits to retain anonymity. Some chose hands only, others a mask, obscured faces, or in the case of a Venezuelan family, they proudly allowed full-face photos of their beautiful daughter, born in Boston. ' 'A lot of us are living in fear, whether we were born here, whether we weren't born here.' L. L., draped in a Mexican flag and wearing her cap and gown, is a native of the United States and graduated with a college degree in political science. She worries that her mom, who is Mexican and still in the process of getting citizenship, could be targeted by immigration agents. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff L. was born in the United States and graduated with a college degree in political science. She works with kids as a youth facilitator. She worries that her mother, who is Mexican and still in the process of getting citizenship, could be targeted. If agents come knocking on her door, she says, she has studied how to respond. 'Number one, don't open the door,' says 'L', who attended a 'Know Your Rights' workshop at La Colaborativa. 'Say that you don't wish to speak to them according to your Fourth Amendment right.' Advertisement Tears start streaming down her face. 'A lot of us are living in fear, whether we were born here, whether we weren't born here. And that's obviously what he [Trump] wants, and I think he's succeeding with it.' She dabs at her eyes with a tissue. 'It's a sanctuary city, yes. But with Trump signing all these executive orders saying basically, 'Screw you guys. You guys didn't vote for me. …I'm going after all of you,'' is frightening, she says. She agrees that criminals should be deported. 'But for your average hard-working Latino man and woman who came to this country for a better life, not only for themselves, but for their children, those are not the people that he should be targeting. . . . He says he's not, but you know he is,' she says. 'This country was built and created by immigrants. They're the ones who really hold and sustain this country. And without them, it's going to crumble down.' She still has hope. 'I think that being born in this country has its advantages. But I know that sometimes my family and the immigrant community do feel as though they're ghosts living here.' ' 'I'm not scared nor angry. I'll be for real with you. But what I want to do is help my community.' Z. Z. wears a bunny mask to cover his face. He was born on the Mystic River Bridge to a Mexican father and Salvadoran mother. 'Bunnies run away from predators. As a kid, when people scream La Migra, it means ICE or Immigration, which means run or hide. In this country we shouldn't be running and hiding from people. Bunnies have a lot of predators but when they combine forces, they scatter the wolves, and they mess with the wolves.' Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff Z. is an 18-year-old US citizen born smack dab in the middle of a snowy Tobin Memorial Bridge as his dad rushed them into Massachusetts General Hospital on Dec. 18, 2006. His umbilical cord was still attached. His dad is Mexican and works in construction. His mom is Salvadoran and works as a cook. Advertisement The Chelsea High School student is determined to help during this difficult time. 'I'm not scared nor angry. I'll be for real with you. But what I want to do is help my community. Chelsea is a very diverse community. It's nerve-wracking for people.' Recently he saw two mothers huddled and talking in the street, their child listening. 'And that kid starts to break down crying. No 7 or 8-year-old should be worrying about their mother being deported. It just saddens me.' His angst over the new president's quest to end birthright citizenship, a constitutional right for those born in this country, is raw. 'It's (expletive) up,' he says. 'Pardon my language, but if they do that, I'm not going to back down without a fight. If they get me and my parents, then people would say it's the end of the world. But in reality, if I'm with my family, if we're all together, then it doesn't matter. All I care about is my family.' ' 'If you deport me to Haiti, I have no one there and you're setting me up to die.' B. B. was born in Haiti. He is afraid that if he is deported, 'I will be dead the same day I arrive.' Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff B. was born in Haiti. His mom is from the Dominican Republic. He says his Haitian father abused him and then abandoned him when they got to the United States. His mom divorced his father and remained in Santo Domingo. She had several strokes and is immobile. 'I'm a momma's boy,' he says in Spanish. 'I'm afraid because I have never been detached from my mom.' He has his work papers and is looking for a full-time job. He works stocking food in a local market. He dreams of someday buying his mom a house. 'All my family is in Dominicana. My biggest fear is. . . if you deport me to Haiti, I have no one there and you're setting me up to die. Haiti is a country without law.' Advertisement He is 19, tall and shy, and wears a Super Bowl 1981 sweatshirt and a thin black coat in the cold. 'I may not have anything, but I have my energy and my youth and my willingness to do what is right. Judge me by the actions that I take and what I want to do in life. That's not right for me to be judged as a young man who will be a criminal. I am not that at all. Give me an opportunity, and see the type of person I am. 'I get extremely, extremely sad when at times you dream and the reality is the dream is no longer a dream. It could really become a nightmare.' ' 'I can't sleep at night. President Trump wants to kick them all out, even A., who was born in the USA.' F. A. walks with her Venezuelan mother. She was born on the Fourth of July at Boston Medical Center. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff Six-month-old A. was born on the Fourth of July at Boston Medical Center. Her parents are among the millions who fled the political and economic crisis of Venezuela. Part of their long journey was spent riding on top of 'El Bestia,' (The Beast), also known as 'The Train of Death,' for the high number of immigrants who die on it. F., who works as a supportive specialist at a local shelter, pays taxes and has no problems with the law. He has studied at Harvard Extension School. He worked briefly at a luxury hotel in Boston, where he saw migrants hard at work. 'When you walk in the lobby, it's beautiful. But then when you go down to where everything is happening, to the basement where the laundry, the food is being prepared, everything is being prepared by migrants. All the cleaning, fixing the pillows, anything.' Advertisement His newborn daughter has a birth certificate and US citizenship. All he has is The stress over his family's future has seeped into his soul. 'I can't sleep at night,' he says through an interpreter. 'President Trump wants to kick them all out, even A., who was born in the USA,' he says. 'Unfortunately, I feel that that is inhumane,' says F. 'Our biggest fear is that. Unfortunately, we cannot go back to Venezuela, because our life will be in danger back there.' Even going to the laundromat can be a traumatic experience. 'When I looked up, there was two police officers,' says his wife, M. But they were just on foot patrol. 'I just felt like my whole world collapsed. I got scared.' 'I feel like we left the country because of persecution, and we came to this country to give our best. But I feel like the same thing is happening here. Anything is possible and that is unnerving,' he says. His stress level on a one to 10 scale is now a solid 10. 'I don't think anyone likes to live in the shadow, in the darkness,' he says. @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Regular; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); } @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Bold; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); } .dipupnext_hed { font-family: "MillerHeadline-Bold", "Times New Roman", Times, Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: .75px; text-align: center; font-size: 1.25em; line-height: 1; margin-top: 3px; color: #000; width: 100%; font-weight: 600; } .dipupnext_cap_cred { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Regular", "Times New Roman", Times, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align: left; margin: 3px 0px 5px 0px; font-weight: 200; color: #000; text-decoration: none; text-align: center; } .dipupnext_photo { max-width: 100%; height: auto; padding-top: 15px; opacity: 1; } .dipupnext__form:hover { opacity: .5; text-decoration: underline .5px; } .dipupnext__form{ opacity: 1; } .picupnext__container { width: 100%; position: relative; margin: 0 auto; } .dipupnext__content { width: 100%; display: grid; grid-template-columns: 3fr; } .cdipupnextcontainer { display: block; width:100%; height: auto; margin:0 auto; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; } .upnext { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Bold", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.15; margin-top: .5rem; letter-spacing: 0px; color: #000; padding: 8px 8px 4px 8px; margin-top: 5px; letter-spacing: .5px; } .upnext:before, .upnext:after { background-color: #000; content: ""; display: inline-block; height: 1px; position: relative; vertical-align: 4px; width: 32%; } .upnext:before { right: 0.3em; margin-left: -50%; } .upnext:after { left: 0.3em; margin-right: -50%; } .theme-dark .upnext:before { background-color: #fff; } .theme-dark .upnext:after { background-color: #fff; } .theme-dark .upnext { color: #fff; } .theme-dark .dipupnext_cap_cred { color: #fff; } .theme-dark .dipupnext_hed { color: #fff; } @media screen and (min-width: 800px){ .dipupnext__content { grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr; grid-column-gap: 40px; } } UP NEXT Stan Grossfeld can be reached at
