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We cried together: Trump's deportation drive forces tough decisions for couples
The article follows U.S.-based couples facing deportation and immigration-law challenges as ICE steps up enforcement after Trump's return to office. It centers on Alejandro and Janie Pérez, who are separated by deportation and later reunite in Mexico with their two daughters, and notes another couple in similar circumstances.
Why It Matters
It highlights the human impact of immigration policy changes on families with mixed immigration status, illustrating difficult choices between separation and relocation.
Timeline
3 Events
Janie moves to Mexico with their two daughters after deportation
March 14, 2026
A few days after Alejandro's deportation, Janie moves to Mexico with her two daughters to be with him. She describes tears of happiness upon seeing Alejandro again at the airport in Mexico, where their three-year-old daughter Luna hugged him.
Alejandro detained by ICE and deported to Mexico
March 11, 2026
Alejandro Pérez is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after living as an undocumented immigrant for about 16 years. He spends about five months in a detention centre before being deported to Mexico on March 11, 2026. During court appearances, he is shackled at the feet and hands, with a chain around his waist; Janie visits him at the detention centre and later sees him at each court hearing from a distance through a pane of glass.
Meetings and marriage amid immigration status efforts
2019
Janie Pérez and Alejandro Pérez meet in 2019 at a cafe where they work; faith is central to their relationship. They later decide to marry and consult a lawyer to obtain legal status for Alejandro, but their efforts are unsuccessful.