Jerardyn, a 40-year-old mother from Venezuela, sat quietly on a bus, feeling a mixture of relaxation and dread as the landscape of Southern California passed by her window.
As the imposing border wall between the U.S. and Mexico came into view, her heart began to race.
With immigration documents clutched tightly in her hands, she tried to mask her anxiety from her two youngest children, Milagro and David.
This was her last glimpse of the United States for now, a country she had hoped would offer refuge to her and her family.
Jerardyn’s journey to this point had been a long one, fraught with hardship and fear.
Having fled Venezuela in search of asylum, she had initially found a semblance of safety in the U.S. after entering last year.
However, the political climate shifted dramatically after President Donald Trump took office, launching aggressive immigration raids across Southern California.
Fear gripped her heart as she lived with the constant worry that immigration agents would detain her or deport her family back to Venezuela, where their safety was no longer guaranteed under President Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
After several months of hiding in the basement of a church in Los Angeles, Jerardyn made the painful decision to leave the U.S. once again, this time returning to Mexico with her two youngest children while leaving her two eldest behind to continue their asylum process.
She meticulously planned her departure, withdrawing her asylum application from immigration court, securing an apartment in Mexico City, and shipping boxes of toys and clothes ahead.
With bus tickets to Tijuana and flights to Mexico City booked, she embarked on her journey.
The bus ride to Tijuana was smooth, but as they approached the National Institute of Migration, where they would encounter Mexican immigration officers, Jerardyn’s dread resurfaced.
“I’m panicking,” she thought to herself, feeling the weight of what lay ahead.
Despite the anxiety, she reminded herself, “I’m going to make it in any country because I’m the one doing it.”
Arriving at the institute, she led Milagro and David into the immigration line and handed over her Venezuelan passport to an officer, who scrutinized her with a stern gaze and pulled them into a separate room for questioning.
Jerardyn’s mind raced with uncertainty: Would Mexico choose to deport her back to Venezuela, or would it allow them some mercy?
The walls of the room encased her in a familiar feeling of fear, reminiscent of the time she was detained by Venezuelan officials who extorted money from her.
Growing up in a comfortable, middle-class family in Venezuela, Jerardyn had once dreamed of becoming a social worker.
However, her plans changed when she unexpectedly became a mother at 15.
Though her father eventually supported her after learning she would name her first child after him, her life took darker turns after the traumatic loss of her dad and an assault she endured at age 22.
As violence escalated in Venezuela and the economy collapsed, Jerardyn’s life spiraled further into chaos.
With the government’s corruption running rampant and safety dwindling, she made the heart-wrenching choice to flee with her children to Colombia, where she worked tirelessly to support them.
The safety she sought remained elusive as her adversities continued.
Jerardyn briefly returned to Venezuela to obtain passports for her kids but was instead detained and extorted for money, leaving them without documentation.
After living in Peru under increasingly hostile conditions as a Venezuelan immigrant, she meticulously planned a treacherous journey through the Darien Gap jungle with her four children and a dog they saved.
The experience was harrowing; they endured countless dangers, including encounters with violent criminals and the sights of suffering fellow migrants.
Emerging from the jungle after five grueling days, Jerardyn found herself in Mexico, exhausted and seeking safety, but now faced with a new challenge: obtaining legal status while providing for her family.
Through the assistance of a friend, they settled in Texcoco de Mora, where Jerardyn found a job at a salon while her older sons worked in street markets.
They spent months trying to secure an appointment for U.S. entry to seek asylum and eventually did so, working hard to build a life while constantly laden with the anxiety of potential detainment.
On an emotional Sunday in July, Jerardyn witnessed the tightening grip of fear as immigration raids sent shockwaves through her community.
The church where they sought refuge became a haven, yet the stress of concealing from Immigration and Customs Enforcement loomed overhead.
In a revealing moment, David shared his desire to move back to Mexico, prompting Jerardyn to consider self-deportation as an option.
Breaking down, she penned a heartfelt plea to the immigration judge for voluntary departure, recounting the escalating stress she and her family faced.
To her relief, the judge approved her request, allowing her to leave while her other sons would continue the fight for asylum.
Saying goodbye to her eldest children brought tears and heavy hearts as they boarded the bus to Tijuana, uncertain of the road ahead.
As Jerardyn, Milagro, and David faced Mexican immigration officials, they were placed in a stark white room, reminiscent of past detentions.
In a suspenseful twist, after hours of waiting in uncertainty, they received the news that they could stay in Mexico.
Grateful, they were granted temporary status pending legal proceedings and allowed to fly to Mexico City, where a job awaited Jerardyn.
Back in Texcoco, she was reunited with Gonzalo, a man she had previously become engaged to, igniting hope for their relationship despite the challenges of long-distance separation.
As the family settled into their new apartment, Jerardyn found herself slowly rebuilding her sense of normalcy.
Amidst the newfound stability, she focused on her children’s education and embraced the simple joys of life, such as cheering Milagro on as she learned to skate.
Reflecting on her journey thus far, Jerardyn expressed gratitude for the peace she felt in Mexico, far from the fears and uncertainties that once plagued her in the U.S.
“I feel free, complete peace of mind, knowing I’m not doing anything wrong, and I won’t be pursued,” she said, finally allowing hope to sprout once again.
image source from:latimes