Hello, my husband was a hardworking family man — the kind who woke up before dawn, kissed me goodbye, and left with his lunch packed, ready to provide for us. But one morning, instead of him coming home, I received a call that shattered my world. He had been taken by ICE. From that moment, everything changed. Days turned into weeks with no communication, no answers, no reassurance. He was transferred from one detention center to another, disappearing into a system that gave us no updates and left us fearing the worst.

My husband was the sole provider for our family, and without him, I’ve been left struggling to keep us afloat. On top of the emotional devastation, we are burdened with the heavy fees ICE requires, which feels like punishment on top of heartbreak. Now, we face the painful reality of leaving everything behind and moving to his home country — a place I have never lived, never known, and never imagined I would have to call home.

All of this is happening during a time of economic hardship, rising racism, and an intensified police and enforcement presence under Trump’s policies — a climate that puts even more innocent families like ours at risk. What began as an ordinary morning — my husband heading out to work with his lunch in hand — has ended with my life upended, my family torn apart, and our future forced into uncertainty.