Ep 2- Inside a Minnesota Home Hiding From ICE

With the curtains drawn and a family in hiding for two months from ICE, we’re invited into a Minnesota home to meet a father who lost his job, drained his savings, whose 18 year old daughter risks working, and 15 year old son isolates from his friends and school.

“My daughter got scared if they arrest her. They say they don’t care if you’re born here, if you have a Spanish face, they take you. So my daughter is scared, and my son too.”
— Honduran Father in Hiding

After days of waiting and building trust, I’m led to a surprise meeting point and into a home where the curtains have been drawn for nearly two months. Inside, a Honduran father describes losing his job, draining his savings, and watching his 18-year-old daughter become the family’s sole provider while his 15-year-old son attends school online out of fear. In a house filled with anxiety and uncertainty, he wrestles with whether Minnesota is still the place that once promised his family a better life.

OUR INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

Meeting with the Honduran Family

  • Ted describes waiting for a contact to pick him up to visit an immigrant family in hiding.

  • Ted arrives at the family's home, which has drawn curtains and a single light on.

  • The family has been in hiding for two months due to fear of being found by authorities.

Challenges of Living in Hiding

  • Ted asks the father if he can go to work, and the father responds that he is too scared to leave the house.

  • The father is unsure if his job will be waiting for him after this situation ends.

  • The family is struggling financially; the father mentions they are in their last month and have no money for next month.

  • The family consists of the father, his wife, and their two children, aged 18 and 15.

Impact on the Children's Education and Lives

  • The 18-year-old son should be in school but is also too scared to leave the house.

  • The family has been relying on the daughter, who works and earns $150 a week.

  • Ted asks about the children's education, and the father explains that the school started offering online classes during the crisis.

  • The father feels sad and scared, and the family is living in constant fear and uncertainty.

Community Support and Financial Struggles

  • Ted inquires if the family has received any support from the community, and the father mentions they have not.

  • The father expresses his sadness and uncertainty about the future, feeling like they have no vision for their lives.

  • Ted asks about the father's daily routine, and the father describes a monotonous life of staying inside the house.

  • The father's daughter is scared of being arrested if she goes out, and the son is also too scared to leave the house.

Concerns About Safety and Future Plans

  • The father mentions that his daughter carries her passport and real ID when she goes out.

  • The father is unsure if the daughter's employer knows about their situation.

  • Ted asks about the family's history and how they came to the United States, and the father shares his journey from Honduras to Minnesota.

  • The father expresses his desire to stay in the United States for a better life for his children but acknowledges the fear and uncertainty they are facing.

Financial Pressures and Landlord Relations

  • The father reveals that they pay $1,800 in rent each month and have been using their savings to cover it.

  • Ted asks if the father has spoken to his landlord about their situation, and the father says he has not yet had to.

  • The father is unsure if his landlord will be sympathetic to their situation.

  • Ted expresses his admiration for the father's selflessness and bravery in wanting a better life for his children.

Emotional Impact and Future Hopes

  • The father shares his sadness and uncertainty about the future, feeling like they have no vision for their lives.

  • Ted asks about the father's daily routine, and the father describes a monotonous life of staying inside the house.

  • The father's daughter is scared of being arrested if she goes out, and the son is also too scared to leave the house.

  • The father mentions that his daughter carries her passport and real ID when she goes out.

Community Support and Financial Struggles

  • Ted inquires if the family has received any support from the community, and the father mentions they have not.

  • The father expresses his sadness and uncertainty about the future, feeling like they have no vision for their lives.

  • Ted asks about the father's daily routine, and the father describes a monotonous life of staying inside the house.

  • The father's daughter is scared of being arrested if she goes out, and the son is also too scared to leave the house.

Concerns About Safety and Future Plans

  • The father mentions that his daughter carries her passport and real ID when she goes out.

  • Ted asks about the family's history and how they came to the United States, and the father shares his journey from Honduras to Minnesota.

  • The father expresses his desire to stay in the United States for a better life for his children but acknowledges the fear and uncertainty they are facing.

  • The father reveals that they pay $1,800 in rent each month and have been using their savings to cover it.

Financial Pressures and Landlord Relations

  • Ted asks if the father has spoken to his landlord about their situation, and the father says he has not yet had to.

  • The father is unsure if his landlord will be sympathetic to their situation.

  • Ted expresses his admiration for the father's selflessness and bravery in wanting a better life for his children.

  • The father shares his sadness and uncertainty about the future, feeling like they have no vision for their lives.