While many kids are packing snacks and half-finished homework as they prepare for the school day, others are facing tasks way above their years: translating uncomfortable questions for parents, watching out for younger siblings and always keeping an ear out for a knock on the door that could change their lives.
The threat of being detained and deported by immigration agents doesn’t just hover over adults; it seeps into the lives of children who hear rumors at school and live with the constant worry that this will be the day a parent or sibling doesn’t come home.
Lluvia Chavez Fragoso talks to children and young adults grappling with the question: If something happens, who will protect us — and will anyone believe us? Their stories reveal how heightened immigration enforcement reshapes family dynamics.
This piece is part of "Resilience in the Age of ICE," a series of podcasts and essays produced by students at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and published by Golden State. Visit golden-state.org/USCproject for more.
