Francisco, 38, and his brother, Ruben, 28, had functioned as a unit since they migrated from Nicaragua in October 2022 looking for better economic opportunities. ⁠
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Their world shattered on Feb. 17 when Francisco got a call while at the grocery store: Ruben had been arrested during his asylum appointment at the Sansome Street immigration court. ⁠
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As he arrived at his immigration appointment, he was surrounded by agents. Ruben was going to be deported. It was the start of a 20-day journey back to Nicaragua. ⁠
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He was taken with 70 other men on a 270-mile journey to the Mesa Verde Detention Center in Bakersfield. ⁠
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Within a couple of days, Ruben was on a plane with other Latino, Chinese and African migrants to a detention center in Arizona he described as “horrible.” ⁠
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On Feb. 28, he was back on a plane that made two stops before arriving at Puerto Isabel Detention Center in Texas on March 1. Ruben arrived in Nicaragua on Sunday March 8. ⁠
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Today, Ruben is not employed and is working fulltime on his house, which he expects could be completed in September. He plans to open a market soon after. ⁠
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Read more from Mission Local staff at the link in bio. ⁠
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📸: Zoe Malen, courtesy of Ruben