LEAVING THE UNITED STATES BEHIND.

This article focuses on the Cruz family’s decision to leave New York City and self-deport to Mexico in response to the escalating risks and hostile immigration policies under the Trump administration’s 2024 reelection. Irvi Cruz, an undocumented immigrant who had lived in the U.S. for over two decades, and his wife Rachel, a U.S. citizen and public school teacher, chose to prioritize family unity over remaining in the United States despite the financial and emotional hardships of relocating to rural Oaxaca. The narrative details their struggles with immigration laws, the impact on their children’s education and well-being, and the broader implications for mixed-status families facing similar dilemmas. The family’s experience illustrates the complex realities of immigration enforcement and the personal costs of policies that compel long-term residents to leave the country they consider home. [Extracted from the article]