“[My parents] say they are not scared, but I know they are really scared of what’s going on,” one high school student said.
Every time her phone rings, Merlyn’s mind runs to one thought only: “What if my dad is getting deported?” She would be alone in the United States at 17.
Merlyn, who didn’t provide a last name out of fear of being targeted, arrived in Philadelphia from a village in Honduras. At 15, she crossed a jungle and a desert, unaccompanied, to be reunited with her father. She’s among the estimated 47,000 undocumented immigrants who call Philly home, according to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.
Since President Donald Trump took office, promises about mass deportations, family separations, and increased raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement nationwide have become a reality.
A lot has been said about men and women getting deported, but their children are frequently overlooked.
“I am really scared,” Merlyn said in Spanish, pausing and using her hand as a stress ball. “I haven’t even thought about it. I don’t want to.”
Fear is one of the prevalent feelings among youth. On Feb. 8, Jocelynn Rojo Carranza, an 11-year-old girl from Texas, died by suicide after her classmates threatened to call ICE on her parents, her mother said.
It is unclear if similar bullying situations have occurred in Philly since the presidential election. The Philadelphia School District does not comment on student matters, said a spokesperson, who did not provide further information.
Philadelphia-born Maritza, who declined to provide a last name out of fear of being targeted, should be planning her future after high school. Instead, the 11th grader is worried her parents could be deported.
“My family is making a plan for ifs, practicing for raids,” Maritza said, counting with her fingers. A list of contacts, packed bags, and saved money are among the necessities. Her life has already changed.
Since inauguration day, the bustling Italian Market she grew up in has quieted down due to rumors of ICE raids, leaving teenagers and young adults in charge of their parents’ stalls and stores to protect them from being targeted by ICE, Maritza said.
Tending to customers on a Saturday evening, Maritza said she faces a possible future of balancing school, running a business, and raising her younger siblings at 17.
The city provides integrational and learning resources to all school-aged youth. But the School District does not appear to offer additional support for migrant or U.S.-born students with undocumented families, according to a spokesperson.
Maritza finds support in her Italian Market community, in friends like Alma. (The Acel Moore High School Journalism Workshop is not printing her last name to protect her privacy.)
Alma, a high school senior, is the daughter of two pillars of the local Latino community. Now, Alma and her three siblings risk losing their parents.
“[My parents] say they are not scared, but I know they are really scared of what’s going on,” she said. “I’m more focused on helping everybody, not panic[king].”
She channels her stress into supporting and educating other youth in South Philadelphia. The 18-year-old participates in several Latino-focused community initiatives, including setting up a student leadership program and informing Latino students of their rights if ICE arrives.
So far this year, more than 111,000 people have been deported nationwide. Local numbers are not yet available, but in one local example, seven men were arrested by ICE at a North Philadelphia car wash on Feb. 2. Rumors of ICE sightings have spread like wildfire throughout the city.
While at school, Alma got word of a raid at the Italian Market. During the rest of the day, it was the one thought flooding her mind.
Nothing happened that day in the market, but for Alma, “there’s no way to describe that feeling.”