This piece was first released inThe 19th.
From her home-based daycare in Washington, D.C., Alma looks through the door and down the sidewalks. If everything is clear and there are no ICE agents around, she will call her coworker to let her know it’s safe to come in for work.
They also need to be cautious with the children. Usually, she would take the five children she looks after to the library every Wednesday and to parks during the rest of the week. However, Alma — similar to her colleague, who also lacks permanent legal status — had to stop this activity in August, after President Donald Trump declared a “crime emergency” in the area. As a result, two of the children she cares for are now being removed from the daycare. The parents stated that the reason was because they weren’t going outside.
Trump has sent the National Guard and a surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers into the area. Arrests by ICE in that region have risen.tenfold. The circumstances have placed Latinas, who sustain the country’s child care industry, in a constant state of fear. Across the nation, approximately1 in 5Child care workers are often immigrants, but in D.C., it’s closer to40 percent; about 7 percentlack permanent legal status on a national level. Almost all of them are women.
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Numerous individuals are absent from their jobs, while others are taking the risk because they can’t afford to miss out on income, according to providers speaking to The 19th. Everyone is worried about becoming the next one affected.
What kind of life is this?” asked Alma, whose name in “The 19th” has been altered to safeguard her identity. “We are not troublemakers, we are not bad people, we are here to work and support our family.
Alma has operated a home-based daycare for the last ten years. She has been living in the United States for 22 years, dedicating herself to childcare throughout that time. With two children leaving, she will need to cut back on her staff’s hours while searching for new children to fill the available spots.
Her four children of school age also rely on her. This month, she had to complete a signed form outlining what should happen to her kids if she were to be arrested. Her desire is for them to be taken into custody with her.
“I can’t picture my children being here without me,” she said.
She stated that she comprehends the president’s strategy of removing immigrants who have criminal records from the country, but what about teachers who are working with children? Children who haven’t committed any crime?
By focusing on them, she stated, the administration is “tearing apart entire families.”
The Multicultural Spanish Speaking Providers Association in D.C., which supports Latina childcare providers, has witnessed this fear firsthand over the past few weeks as an increasing number of Latinas in childcare have stopped coming to work. The center also assists employees in earning their associate’s degree in early childhood education, and since the semester began in mid-August, many educators have requested that classes be held online so they don’t have to attend campus in the evenings.
Latinas have increasingly entered the child care field for various reasons: Families looking for care appreciate access to language education, and Latinas face fewer language obstacles when entering this profession, noted Blanca Huezo, the program coordinator at the Multicultural Spanish Speaking Providers Association.
“Overall, this industry provides them with a chance to begin anew in their native language while staying connected to their culture,” Huezo stated.
Although the number of child care workers without permanent legal status has traditionally been small, recent adjustments by the Trump administration to cancel or limit legal safeguards havelikely increased it. This year, the government haslimited options for seeking asylum at the border, attempted to exclude specific groupsfrom being granted Temporary Protected Status andtemporarily paused humanitarian protections for groups of migrants.
The modifications, along with stronger enforcement, have created a sense of fear.among Latinx peopleNo matter the immigration status. That fear among employees is worsening a staffing shortage in an industry that could not handle more setbacks, Huezo said.
There is a shortage—and it’s even worse now,” she stated. “There are numerous centers where almost 99 percent of the teachers are of Hispanic background.
Washington, D.C., has functioned as a sanctuary city since 2020, with broad restrictions on law enforcement collaboration with immigration authorities. However, earlier this year, Mayor Muriel Bowser suggested eliminating that policy, and by mid-August, Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department Police Chief Pamela Smith granted officers more flexibility toshare information with ICEregarding people they have detained or intercepted
There was a sense of peace that came with living in D.C., offering more security,” Huezo stated. Now, “individuals no longer experience that same freedom when walking through the streets.
Child care centers are also no longer exempt from ICE raids. These facilities were previously safeguarded under a “sensitive locations” policy that recommended ICE avoid enforcement actions in places such as schools and daycares. However, Trump eliminated this protection during his time in office.first day in office. Although there have been no reports of raids at day cares, ICE has been present near child care centers, including in D.C.,has been reported.
A parallel tale of fear and monitoring hasalready played outin Los Angeles, where ICE carried out extensive raids earlier this summer. Huezo mentioned that her organization has been communicating with child care providers in L.A. to understand how they handled those months.
In the interim, she mentioned, the organization’s best approach is to link workers with as many resources as possible, such as legal clinics, although those that assist immigrants are already at full capacity. The group has connected child care workers who are staying home with an organization named Food Justice DMV, which is delivering meals directly to their homes. Before last month, individuals needing food could complete a form and receive assistance within the same week. Now, the waiting period extends to two or three weeks, according to Huezo. For residents in Maryland and Virginia, the wait is nearly a month.
Thalia, who works as an educator at a daycare center, mentioned that her colleagues have stopped showing up for work. This topic is frequently discussed during their lunch breaks. While she takes the Metro to her job, she often glances over her shoulder for ICE officers, whose faces are concealed, who are commonly found at the entrances.
“They’re pursuing us,” she stated.
Thalia, whose name has been altered due to her lack of permanent legal status, has resided in the United States for nine years and has been employed in child care throughout that period. Similar to her, numerous Latina educators she collaborates with have obtained certifications and academic qualifications in early childhood education.
We are working, we are collaborating, and we pay taxes,” she stated. “We are present all day so that other families can take advantage of the childcare.
As a single mother, Thalia has also had to think about what would happen to her three children if she were taken into custody. Over the past month, she hired a lawyer who could assist them with their case in case something occurred. Her school-age children are aware: Call the lawyer if mom is detained and arrange tickets to Guatemala to be with her there.
This is the reality she faces daily: “The anxiety of departing from her family and conveying, ‘If I don’t come back, it’s not because I’m forsaking you.'”
This storywas initially reported by Chabeli Carrazana ofThe 19th.Connect with Chabeli and explore more of her coverage on gender, politics, and policy..
