Families in Crisis: Illegal Immigration | Full Documentary

Summary

The video follows Rafa Arturo, a Salvadoran deported from the U.S., who struggles to reunite with his son, Jacob, while navigating gang violence and poverty in El Salvador. Having lived in the U.S. for 30 years, Rafa faces challenges in raising Jacob safely and dreams of returning to the U.S. Jacob’s attempts to secure a visa are repeatedly denied, and Rafa contemplates a dangerous illegal journey back to the U.S. This story highlights the harsh realities of deportation, the risks of re-migration, and the emotional toll on families divided by borders.

Takeaways

• 🛑 Central Americans, especially those from El Salvador, face cyclical migration due to violence and lack of opportunities in their home countries.
• 🌍 Many deported Salvadorans spent most of their lives in the U.S., making their return to El Salvador feel foreign and disconnected.
• 👨‍👦 Rafa, a deported Salvadoran, is determined to give his son Jacob a safer and better life in the U.S., despite the legal challenges and risks.
• ⚖️ Rafa has a criminal history and was deported in 2009, which complicates his ability to return to the U.S. legally.
• 💵 El Salvador’s reliance on the U.S. dollar, while beneficial for the American economy, has increased poverty for many Salvadorans.
• 💼 Call centers are one of the few viable employment options for English-speaking deportees in El Salvador, where wages remain low.
• 🔫 Gang violence remains a major threat in El Salvador, with children as young as eight being recruited, leading families like Rafa’s to seek asylum in the U.S.
• 🚸 Rafa’s efforts to secure legal entry for his son into the U.S. through visas have been denied, forcing him to consider illegal methods.
• 🛂 The U.S.’s increasingly strict immigration policies and cuts to foreign aid exacerbate the challenges for families seeking to escape violence and poverty.
• 🛑 Rafa’s family, particularly his daughters in the U.S., are supporting Jacob and advocating for his safe relocation to provide him with better opportunities.

Q & A

What event is being described at the beginning of the script?

The script begins by describing a scene in Tijuana where a group of migrants peacefully protested, but a small group broke off and rushed toward the fence at the U.S. border.

What is the primary reason many of the Central Americans in the caravan are trying to cross into the U.S.?

Many of the Central Americans in the caravan are seeking to reunify with their families and escape violence or poverty in their home countries.

Who is Rafa, and why was he deported from the U.S.?

Rafa is a deported immigrant who lived in the U.S. for over 30 years. He was deported in 2009 after being convicted of three crimes related to theft between 1992 and 2001.

What challenges does Rafa face now that he has returned to El Salvador?

Rafa struggles with being treated as a foreigner in El Salvador, finding it hard to adjust to life there. He faces higher prices as a non-local and deals with the constant threat of gang violence.

Why does Rafa want to send his son Jacob to the U.S., and what obstacles has he faced in doing so?

Rafa wants to send Jacob to the U.S. for safety, better education, and a brighter future. However, his attempts to get Jacob a tourist or student visa have been denied, as U.S. authorities suspect that Jacob would stay illegally.

What role do Rafa’s daughters play in supporting Jacob and Rafa’s family?

Rafa's daughters, all U.S. citizens, provide financial support to Rafa and Jacob. They help with expenses like food and tuition to ensure Jacob can have a better life.

What is the living situation for Jacob and Rafa in El Salvador?

Jacob and Rafa live in poverty, relying on support from Rafa's daughters in the U.S. Rafa works in a call center, one of the few decent jobs available for English-speaking deportees in El Salvador.

How has the U.S. immigration policy affected Rafa and his family?

U.S. immigration policy has kept Rafa and his family apart, making it nearly impossible for him to reunite with his son Jacob or return to the U.S. legally. Attempts to secure legal visas for Jacob have been repeatedly denied.

What is Rafa’s plan to bring Jacob to the U.S., and what risks are involved?

Rafa plans to take Jacob to Guatemala legally, then cross into Mexico illegally and eventually attempt to cross into the U.S. This journey is dangerous, involving risks such as kidnapping, gang violence, and even death.

What challenges does Rafa’s daughter Kimberly face in her attempts to adopt Jacob?

Kimberly and her partner Daphne considered adopting Jacob, but El Salvador’s strict adoption policies made it nearly impossible for them to do so, despite their financial ability and desire to provide Jacob a better life.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 A Family Torn by Immigration and Violence

The scene opens in Tijuana, where a caravan of Central American migrants peacefully protests before some attempt to rush the U.S. border. The story follows Jacob and his family, who are caught in the cycle of deportation. Rafa, Jacob’s father, once lived in the U.S. but was deported, leaving him and his son in El Salvador. Determined to give Jacob a better life, Rafa is willing to take drastic actions to reunite with his family in the U.S., despite the risk of losing public sympathy.

05:07

🧠 The Struggle for Jacob’s Future

Rafa talks about Jacob’s future, emphasizing safety, education, and a better life in the U.S. He discusses his limited contact with Jacob’s mother, who is in the U.S., and the difficulties he faces as an outsider in El Salvador. Despite living there for over a decade, Rafa is treated like a foreigner, which isolates him and his son, who faces similar challenges due to his English-speaking background.

10:09

🛑 The Persistent Threat of Violence

Rafa reflects on his experience of being shot in El Salvador, highlighting the constant danger posed by gang violence. He shares his concerns about Jacob’s safety and his unsuccessful attempts to secure a U.S. visa for his son. Gangs recruit children as young as eight, and violence remains a dominant force. Rafa’s efforts to legally bring Jacob to the U.S. were blocked, leaving him devastated and his family in America powerless to help.

15:10

🏠 Creating a Safe Haven for Jacob

Rafa's daughter Kimberly and her fiancée Daphne describe their efforts to create a safe and welcoming environment for Jacob in the U.S. Kimberly recalls visiting El Salvador and witnessing the harsh realities of poverty and violence. The economic situation in El Salvador, worsened by the introduction of the U.S. dollar as the national currency, leaves many families struggling to survive. Remittances from family members in the U.S. have become vital for those left behind.

20:12

🔄 The Cycle of Deportation and Labor

The narrative shifts to the economic challenges facing deportees, many of whom work in call centers due to their English skills. Rafa, who works at a call center, explains that remittances from the U.S. are crucial for survival. His daughter Kimberly reflects on how difficult life would be for Jacob without financial support, fearing he would be malnourished or succumb to illness. U.S. foreign aid to El Salvador is also decreasing, which could worsen the already dire conditions.

🎒 Rafa’s Plan to Take Jacob to the U.S.

Rafa reveals his plan to take Jacob to the U.S., involving illegal border crossings. He acknowledges the dangers but remains determined to provide his son with a better future, even though this decision may lead to further separation. The video ends with Rafa discussing the risks and complexities of attempting to cross the U.S. border illegally, despite the likelihood of being caught. He is torn between wanting to reunite his family and the reality of increasingly strict immigration policies.

Keywords

💡Caravan

A group of Central American migrants traveling together towards the U.S. border, mentioned in the script as peacefully protesting before some moved towards the fence. The caravan symbolizes the broader migration movement, driven by the hope for a better life despite the legal and physical barriers.

💡Deportation

The forced removal of individuals from one country to another, often their country of origin. The video discusses how Salvadorans, who have lived in the U.S. for years, are deported back to El Salvador, even if they have built their lives in the U.S. Deportation is shown as a cycle that forces individuals to return to foreign or dangerous circumstances.

💡Gang violence

A significant issue in El Salvador, where gangs recruit children and terrorize communities. The script highlights the ongoing threat of gang violence, which has driven many people to flee the country, including Rafa, who fears for his son Jacob's safety.

💡Remigration

The act of returning to a country after being deported or migrating back due to dangerous or undesirable conditions in the home country. In the script, many Salvadorans attempt to return to the U.S. after deportation due to lack of safety and economic opportunities.

💡Asylum

A form of international protection given to individuals fleeing persecution or danger in their home country. Rafa plans to seek asylum in Mexico as part of his journey to ensure his son, Jacob, grows up in safety. However, the risks involved in seeking asylum make this a complex and perilous path.

💡Family separation

The physical and emotional separation of family members due to deportation or migration policies. The video portrays how Rafa, after being deported, remains separated from his daughters in the U.S., while also being unable to bring his son Jacob safely to America.

💡Immigration policies

Laws and regulations governing the movement of people across borders. U.S. immigration policies have become stricter, and in the video, they prevent Rafa from re-entering the U.S. legally, while also stopping Jacob from obtaining a visa to study there.

💡Revolving door

A metaphor used in the script to describe the cyclical nature of deportation and remigration. It highlights how people like Rafa are repeatedly deported and attempt to return to the U.S., caught in a seemingly endless cycle of migration.

💡Call centers

A major employment source for deportees in El Salvador, especially for those who speak English. Rafa works in a call center, one of the few viable job options for returning migrants, showing how deportees often have limited opportunities in their home country.

💡U.S. dollarization

The adoption of the U.S. dollar as the official currency in El Salvador in 2001, which raised the cost of living and worsened poverty for many Salvadorans. Rafa explains how dollarization made life more difficult for the population, illustrating the economic struggles that drive migration.

Highlights

Central American migrants peacefully protesting, with a small group rushing toward the fence, creating the perception of storming the U.S. border.

Rafa Arturo, deported back to El Salvador after living in the U.S. for 30 years, shares his experience of trying to reunite with his family.

Rafa reveals that his deportation followed three convictions related to theft between 1992 and 2001.

Despite his claims of being a U.S. Marine, no proof of Rafa's military service was found.

Rafa's young son, Jacob, is now facing a similar journey north, driven by safety concerns and the promise of better education in the U.S.

Rafa recounts being shot in El Salvador, narrowly surviving after being hit by two bullets during a gang-related shooting.

Rafa’s attempts to secure legal visas for Jacob, including a tourist and student visa, were denied by U.S. authorities.

Rafa’s daughters, U.S. citizens, are supporting Jacob financially, fearing he could die from malnourishment or sickness in El Salvador.

Remittances sent from the U.S. make up 20% of El Salvador’s GDP, with deported individuals often relying on family support to survive.

Rafa works in a call center in El Salvador, one of the few viable employment options for English-speaking deportees.

El Salvador has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with gang violence being a major reason for migration.

Kimberly, Rafa's eldest daughter, describes the harsh realities of poverty in El Salvador and the difficulty of supporting Jacob.

Rafa plans to cross illegally into Mexico and eventually seek asylum in the U.S., risking rejection under increasingly harsh immigration policies.

The U.S. government’s zero-tolerance policy criminalizes illegal border crossing, making Rafa's hopes of asylum difficult.

Kimberly and Daphne considered adopting Jacob, but El Salvador's strict adoption policies hindered their efforts.

Rafa faces the dilemma of risking Jacob’s future by taking illegal actions, knowing it could result in deportation and a ban from the U.S.

Transcripts

this is the scene in Tijuana today

earlier hundreds in the caravan were

peacefully protesting that's when a

small gear broke off and brushed toward

the fence Americans are inundated with

images of migrants storming the US

border but for many of these Central

Americans this isn't their first time

across you used to live in the u.s. yeah

by all intents and purposes you were an

American yeah yeah the world that we

live in we can't reunify our family it's

part of a vicious cycle decades in the

making we were alerted to yet another

shooting here I got shot with a 38 you

afraid of

JP getting shot yeah this is Jacob so we

follow one family caught up in this

revolving door we have this like thing

here operation that keeps spinning with

no clear end in sight

your basic gambling your son's entire

future this because you want him to

leave right now

minute you take an illegal course of

action people's sympathy for you is

gonna vanish I don't want nobody

sympathy you know I could care less what

anybody says that's apparent I'll do

whatever it takes to get my son to the

next step

[Music]

each week about three plane loads of

migrants were deported from the US are

flown in and essentially brought to this

immigration processing center here in

South Salvador buses like this can bring

in a variety of people whether it's men

women or children but today mostly

occupants were adult males Salvadorans

are among the largest groups of

undocumented immigrants deported from

the US

[Music]

everyone here has repatriated with the

Salvadoran government they're given back

whatever they could carry and released

for many this is a foreign country they

should be goes for you

you know their union but every 25

Thursday

you lived in the United States for 30

years virtually behind

it's almost like you get it now it's

been a in my granddaughter

so you have no one who

many of the people sent back to El

Salvador have no support system here so

they eventually attempt to return north

again Rafa Arturo was deported back to

El Salvador in 2009 he says his parents

smuggled him across the US border when

he was a child you used to live in the

u.s. yes well I had a life I was married

over there you know I had four children

you were by all intents and purposes you

were in America

yeah yeah Rafa is eligible to reapply

for a green card ten years after his

deportation date but the u.s. is

increasingly hardline immigration

policies and the circumstances under

which he left imperiled his chance of

ever returning how did you end up back

here

I didn't Desmond you know and that's

what brought me here you know records

reveal however that Rafa was convicted

of three different crimes related to

theft between 1992 and 2001

it wasn't the only questionable detail

he provided when discussing what led to

his deportation you know we fought my

case and court I thought that bringing

my military services he's gonna help

to be more news you served time in the

military you were marine you were in

theater in the marine yeah Rafa offered

no proof of his service in the US

Marines and we were unable to

independently verify his claim

okay what it'll take

Rapha now has a young son and he's

determined to see him grow up in the

u.s. like he did wake up Jacob will soon

follow the same path his father took

four decades ago the reason why I want

to send Jacob to the states is my one is

safety

you know that's number one education a

better and look on life you know right

now his pronunciation in English is not

that great which is okay you know bad

arm he understands like just about

everything here you go come on player

it's a little hot come on you gotta blow

on it so where is his mother his mama

Archie's in the States she's I don't

know she's in Texas or in North Carolina

I haven't had contact since the baby was

like about a year and four months so

this is Sammy Stellaluna this is where

they sell the seafood so how how

familiar are you with this area well I

come here let's put the silicon die

Spencer or so you don't know they're no

even after a decade in El Salvador Rafa

says he's still an outsider should you

come here I I don't come the reason why

I don't come is because I don't get the

deals right because I'm a foreigner so

like the love charge yeah they love

charge me this is like a foreign girl

yeah this is a foreign country yeah like

right now we're an attraction but just

me and my son are attraction because I

walked right here and I talk to him in

English so everybody says well he speaks

English at the school you'll you'll see

La among giggling he talked of English

the little white guy who speaks English

that's that's his little nickname

Rapha returned to an el salvador that

was completely foreign to him and it's

also become much more dangerous in 2015

el salvador had one of the highest

murder rates in the world

since then the homicide rate has

steadily declined but the threat of gang

violence persists we were alerted to yet

another shooting here and this is one of

the driving forces that compels so many

people to leave the country for the u.s.

in the 1990s the u.s. sought to rid its

city streets of gang violence and sent

Salvadoran immigrants that had joined

gangs on US soil back to their home

country they wreaked havoc on vulnerable

communities it set in motion a

decades-long cycle of deportation and re

migration that continues to this day

I got shot with a 38

I had like a 50 cent size hold on both

of my sides it happened in front of my

house I saw this guy like pass by he

looked at me and I looked at him and and

then when I saw I found before the gun I

just died running I remember he saw it

eight shots and then to hit me you

afraid of Jacob getting shot yeah yeah

gangs in El Salvador start recruiting

kids as young as eight years old in 2017

alone 540 children were murdered here

the vast majority resulting from gang

violence okay

shortly after Rafa was shot he tried to

get Jacob a tourist visa so he could

interview to attend a school in the US

legally but it was denied they suspected

that if Jacob were to go on as a tourist

that he would end up just staying

exactly they said no they said no the

school then sent a letter verifying

Jacobs application to enroll so Rafa

requested a student visa but that too

was rejected my two daughters were going

to take the home front of

the housing the food paying the tuition

whatever not and all didn't I said I see

yes a mr. Jacobs visa rejection was

devastating not only to Rafa but to his

daughters in America who are ready to

take him in

[Music]

it's a caption he's super into cars so

we got him this carpet right here

[Music]

not like teaches him how to like write

and everything we wouldn't IKEA bought

his little drawer and bed so this is the

living room it's my sister's they're

here 90% of the time

Kimberley is the oldest of Rufus four

daughters all US citizens she and her

fiance Daphne aren't giving up hope that

Jacob will someday live with them we

wanted to make us safe and adaptable

environment for him because it is a very

big change from oh Salvador to Carrie we

have this like thing here operation

bring Jacob home this was a picture of

me and my dad I knew I was like super

young after her father's deportation

Kimberly didn't see Rafa for nearly

eight years in 2017

she and Daphne traveled to El Salvador

for the first time and saw that violence

wasn't the only danger Jacob faced it

was surreal it was quiet it was it was

beautiful at the same time was saddening

because you walk down the street and you

see like three people like begging for

food and it's like if you see

homelessness here in the United States

but homeless is there it's just a

complete other level

it's another side of living nearly

one-third of Salvadorans live in poverty

Rafa says that replacing the country's

currency with the US dollar in 2001

cause the prices of goods to increase

making it harder for those already

struggling to get by so everything is

calculated here in dollars yeah yeah

yeah yeah footprints of America oh yeah

yeah I mean it's in a way bit it's good

for America but now for the people right

here it Bob poverty d'amour

because the people that were living mid

life are now poor now and with tender

little day it's ten dollars but yeah it

sounds good it's not the dollar doesn't

go very far

no not right here so right here minimum

wage is 215 an hour for me that I speak

English that's me for them is probably

about 75 cents or 50 cents an hour for

you because you speak English because I

speak English and I worked in a call

center

[Music]

call centers are thriving in places like

El Salvador where thousands of

english-speaking deportees are a source

of cheap labor so this is one of the

major commercial districts here in San

Salvador there are a number of big call

centers servicing many American

companies there's a revolving door for

people who are deported from the US they

come back here to a country that made

are completely foreign to and working in

a call center with their with their

English skills is really one of the only

decent ways to earn a living even those

with jobs often rely on donations from

friends and family in America to make

ends meet remittances make up a

staggering twenty percent of El

Salvador's annual GDP you guys are

currently supporting Jacob yeah if you

weren't supporting them how would your

dad and how would Jacob get by honestly

I feel like he'd be dead Jacob wouldn't

be dead yep there's no way it can be

simply not being able to provide food

for him and him just be malnourished you

know and then just having a weak immune

system and then just one day some

sickness just take him and that's how a

lot of kids go the United States Agency

for International Development reported

that in 2015 the u.s. gave 332 million

dollars in foreign aid to El Salvador

but the current administration is

looking to slash that finger by 86%

which would further hinder efforts to

provide better healthcare job

opportunities and crackdown on gang

violence factors driving many we were

sent back here to return to the u.s.

regardless of the risks okay oh did you

hear the yellow one with the blue so

today so I have to show proof of where

I'm living at now so I bought the the

light bill I have to pay $35 so I could

go ahead and how the paperwork done so I

could take Jake up out good charge that

was Kimberly you don't wanna say hello

Kimberly and Daphne here say Italian

apropos tell Kimberly oh Jenny can tell

Kimberly definitely hi Daphne okay push

it okay love you okay

[Music]

my sister my sister only sent a picture

he's like what are you doing Jenny my

sister yeah he just sent it to me on the

what's up apps hey Dad I'm here at the

house where you guys that did you guys

go to a lake let's shake up up to have

him send me a message please

so right now we're on our way to the

mall we're gonna get Jacob some stuff

for his birthday his belated birthday

yes I want Jacob here at home with us

and he's not here you know because he

was born in the wrong country you know

just because like the world in the

society that we live in

we can't reunify our family so we kind

of have to live our memories and like

moments through photos and videos no one

should have to live a life or see

pictures of their siblings or parents

children growing up through videos and

photos u.s. immigration policies aren't

the only thing keeping the family apart

Kym and Daphne considered adopting Jacob

but El Salvador strict policies made it

virtually impossible for them to do so

in my mind that's how I'm gonna be when

I see them but I know it's not gonna be

like that today I'm pretty sure that she

doesn't have any recollection of me and

I thought we talk now a lot more Sona

knows me by pictures and you know our

little conversations that we have

soon Rafa plans to take Jacob out of El

Salvador just as his parents did when he

was a small child so you're gonna get on

a bus go into Guatemala legally legally

and then you get off the bus at the

border at Mexico yeah gotta cross

illegally and I gotta cross the illegal

once in Mexico Rafa hopes to seek asylum

and Thapa Chula a transit town for

migrants heading north from there he'll

embark on the nearly 2500 mile journey

to the US border United States if you

break the law you go to jail and you're

separated from your family shouldn't be

any different for illegal arrest but in

the midst of increasingly harsh border

restrictions issued by the US government

including a zero-tolerance policy that

criminalizes an illegal border crossing

Rafa is placing Jacob on a path of great

risk I can't even begin sympathize with

with you

your desire to get both yourself and

your son into safety and into a place

where you can raise him properly but the

minute you take an illegal course of

action a lot of Americans both you know

private citizens and the system is just

gonna say you know what why should we

you know grant you Asylum or you know a

stay in the US you broke the law right

there I mean I didn't wanted to go we

were gonna sit down so I go study over

there he come back yeah a leader in the

community here in El Salvador so you

could be a better didn't want me is that

I'm sending my son to be on welfare or

anything like that my daughters are not

even on anything like that you know

they're law-abiding citizens they're

hard-working girls and other ministers

with my son is to be a hard-working

citizen there are so many more people

who are in the same boat as you

and Americans saying what we've taken as

many people as we could but we can't as

soon as you cross that line people

sympathy for you is gonna vanish well I

don't want nobody sympathy you know

first of all you know I I know what I

did is wrong and everything as you say

all of this and I think as an American

who thinks that we have a responsibility

to take people in right it is who we are

as a people it is what doesn't me in

this country but in your case the series

of rule-breaking you know you but if you

keep breaking the law why the hell

why would the government say you know

what you deserve a sec a third chance

it's not gonna happen

it's just what could I tell you um you

know there's nothing that you anybody

could tell me there's gonna take my mind

away from where I'm at

[Music]

one of the things that that your dad

said was it he says that his goal in the

short term is to get into Mexico

earn some money and eventually settle in

Tijuana so that you'll just be a

three-hour drive from from him and Jacob

but he's also holding out the

possibility that well you know once I

get there get enough money and I'll get

Jacob into the country however I need to

legally or illegally and if all the

legal up you know pathways have been

exhausted does a coyote you know he

can't do it's just not gonna work my dad

has this me too like we're in danger now

you need to leave now now now now and

then it's just like I understand but we

can't right now in the fiscal year

ending September 2016 a record seventeen

thousand five hundred unaccompanied

Salvador and children were apprehended

at the border almost twice as many as in

the previous year bring him here

illegally and he gets caught not only

will he be sent back but he will be

barred and that'll be on you you're a

basic gambling your son's entire future

yes because you want him to leave right

if you think about the long-term

consequences you think about where you

are here today as a result of some

mistake you made because you were yeah

we should have made a bad call

yeah well the same goes for Jacob like

what if he gets deported that's apparent

I'll do whatever it takes to to get my

son to the next step

but before Jacob even reaches America

and the possible threat of deportation

the journey itself is fraught with

dangers that are far worse by kidnapping

or even death

[Music]

yes yes mmm

as you guys have learned having gone

through all the paperwork to try to get

Jacob into a school but not that fair or

not

Jacob's chances have been minimized

based on the fact that he is his father

son yeah definitely

Neph Superman Superman the full costume

you know like we're not asking for the

father to come we're just asking for him

to come a five-year-old who's not going

to take your job or being welfare we fit

the right criteria we make most more

money than most people it still isn't

enough you know they just like no we

just don't want people from Latin

America coming into our country what was

the difference between like 90s 2000s

immigrants and now immigrants it's the

same people they're just different

generation they're still have the same

goal they still want to come live here

everybody that comes here just wants the

white picket fence dream

[Music]

yes

[Music]

[Music]

you