so.mexican At just 17 years old, Angel Arellano has been forced to take on responsibilities most teenagers never expect after his father was detained by ICE and later deported to Mexico. Angel now wakes around 5 a.m. to work at a welding shop before heading to his senior year of high school. When classes end, his day is far from over. He works with the same maintenance crew his father once worked for, then spends his evenings washing dishes and bussing tables at a local Mexican restaurant. He even gave up playing football so he could work more and help his older brother support their two younger brothers, ages 16 and 11. At one point, Angel offered to drop out of school completely and work full-time to keep his family afloat. His father, Adrian Enriquez, had lived in the United States for more than 25 years before being deported to Mexico in May. While detained, he could only watch from a distance as his teenage son began taking on the responsibilities he once carried. “What hurts the most is seeing them work so much,” Enriquez said. Instead of spending his senior year focused on football, friends and graduation, Angel is balancing school, multiple jobs and helping care for his younger brothers as his family adjusts to life without their father at home. View all 261 comments