1230: ICE Took Mom and Dad. Now the Kids Are on Their Own., 7/25/2026

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Press "p" to play "1230: ICE Took Mom and Dad. Now the Kids Are on Their Own., 7/25/2026" from "Reveal" Six miles from Mar-a-Lago, Guatemalan families are being ripped apart. Kids are left to fend for themselves as ICE detains their parents. Last fall, life for the Perez children was turned upside down. Their father, Romeo Sr., was picked up on his way to work and sent to immigration detention. A few months later, their mother, Olga, was detained, too. Her daughter was driving when they were pulled over. Romeo Sr. and Olga were both undocumented and had lived in the United States for decades; their children are US citizens. “I just remember after he had started banging on the window, like, telling me that I have to put the windows down so my mom and my uncle can give their IDs,” says 21-year old Eliza Perez. She told the officer, “You took my dad, and now you're taking my mom.” With their parents gone, Eliza, Jessica, Romeo Jr., and Cynthia had to fend for themselves in Lake Worth, Florida. Eliza, a college student, took charge of the household and the family’s landscaping business. The Perezes are not alone. An estimated 205,000 kids have had a parent detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the last year and a half. It’s happening all over the country and, in some cases, to the same families who were separated at the border during the first Trump administration. This week on Reveal, filmmakers Max Maldonado and José Jesús Zaragoza and Mother Jones reporters Samantha Michaels and Isabela Dias look into the lives of two families fighting to stay together as the Trump administration’s deportation agenda rips them apart. Piece Description Last fall, life for the Perez children was turned upside down. Their father, Romeo Sr., was picked up on his way to work and sent to immigration detention. A few months later, their mother, Olga, was detained, too. Her daughter was driving when they were pulled over. Romeo Sr. and Olga were both undocumented and had lived in the United States for decades; their children are US citizens. “I just remember after he had started banging on the window, like, telling me that I have to put the windows down so my mom and my uncle can give their IDs,” says 21-year old Eliza Perez. She told the officer, “You took my dad, and now you're taking my mom.” With their parents gone, Eliza, Jessica, Romeo Jr., and Cynthia had to fend for themselves in Lake Worth, Florida. Eliza, a college student, took charge of the household and the family’s landscaping business. The Perezes are not alone. An estimated 205,000 kids have had a parent detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the last year and a half. It’s happening all over the country and, in some cases, to the same families who were separated at the border during the first Trump administration. This week on Reveal, filmmakers Max Maldonado and José Jesús Zaragoza and Mother Jones reporters Samantha Michaels and Isabela Dias look into the lives of two families fighting to stay together as the Trump administration’s deportation agenda rips them apart. Timing and Cues Billboard (0:00 - 0:59) Newsbreak cover (1:00 - 5:59) A Block (6:00 - 32:09) IQ: *music* “From the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX..." OQ @ 32:07 “Learn more at Progressive-dot-com." Cutaway 1 cover (32:10 - 33:09) B Block (33:10 - 42:44) IQ: *music* “From the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX..." OQ @ 42:36: “…next on Reveal.” * followed by 6 secs music fade* Cutaway 2 cover (42:45 - 43:44) C Block (43:45 - 59:00) IQ: “From the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX..." OQ @ 58:55: *PRX Sonic ID*