In the United States, lives on hold

According to a study by the Brookings Institution, between 310,000 and 315,000 people have been deported by ICE since the return of Donald Trump to the White House in January 2025. This is not much more than in 2024 (285,000), but the methods have changed significantly. While under Obama, ICE primarily targeted individuals with a criminal record, raids now take place in cities, supermarkets, or construction sites. This crackdown forces people in irregular situations to hide, avoid public places, and sometimes withdraw their children from school.

For the approximately 14 million undocumented immigrants, most of whom are of Latin American origin, the consequences are immediate: anxiety is constant and family life can be disrupted at any moment. U.S. citizens see their parents threatened with deportation, as well as their siblings born abroad. Different statuses can coexist within one family. Today, unauthorized administrative status – illegal entry, expired visa, rejected asylum request – takes on multiple forms, and until recently, many still managed to work thanks to the informal economy or community support. Today, this delicate balance is broken.

In response to the crackdown, families organize their movements, avoid certain neighborhoods, help each other through alert networks on WhatsApp or Facebook. Neighbors do grocery shopping for those who no longer dare to go out; they hit pots to warn of the presence of ICE, which can intervene in civilian clothes and deploy anywhere, including places that were once protected like schools, churches, or hospitals.

This intensification of repression, initiated towards the end of the Biden administration and systematized by the new administration, does not have unanimous support. Silicon Valley, like several “sanctuary cities,” warns of its economic effects: for the first time in half a century, the migration balance has become negative, and entire sectors – agriculture, construction, personal care – lack manpower. Even the Supreme Court, traditionally conservative, has sometimes slowed down presidential ambitions, reminding that those targeted must be able to assert their rights.

Who are the undocumented immigrants in the U.S. today? What are the different forms of irregularity and status? How have the living and working conditions of undocumented people radically changed? Work, school, health – how did they manage to live until now? How are solidarity networks organized? What are the social and economic consequences for the entire country?

Julie Gacon speaks with Marie Mallet-Garcia.

Context: The article discusses the increase in deportations and change in methods under the Trump administration. It also examines the impact on undocumented immigrants and the response from different sectors in the U.S.

Fact Check: The content accurately reflects the study by the Brookings Institution and discusses the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants in the U.S.