The Undocumented Americans

The author visited a rural town in Ohio where an immigrant family had made the news as the father bade his family farewell at the airport because he was being deported to Mexico. She met his four kids and connected with other families anticipating, seeking sanctuary from, or who have experienced deportation.

Most of the chapter takes place back in Connecticut, where the author lives. She continues to explore stories surrounding the theme of deportation closer to home, connecting with men who take up sanctuary in a nearby church and their families, all of whom are living in daily stress, fear, and anxiety over the future and trying to cope with the separation and imprisonment of a loved one, even if they are allowed to visit. Taking up sanctuary is rare, the author explains. A person can request to live in a house of worship “because ICE has a policy against forcing their way into places of worship” (132). She worries about the imminent possibility of a reversal of that policy, but says, “It would certainly be bad PR” (132). The author first discusses Leonel Chávez and his family as they work to reverse his deportation order. The author gets personally involved with his immigration lawyer, and, “On Thanksgiving Day, out of nowhere, Leonel was released.