is clearly distraught by Javier’s absence, but they nonetheless have to continue on with their lives. The wife, Patricia, works long hours in an effort to make up some of the income that has been lost in the wake of her husband‘s deportation. The children, who range in age from six to fourteen, cope in different ways, but each of them misses their father and worries that the same thing may happen to other members of their community. And since Javier was the only member of the family who could drive, the children are now forced to walk long distances to and from school and avoid recreational activities.

Cornejo Villavicencio does what she can for the family, setting up a fundraiser in an effort to buy them a home computer and Internet service for a year. However, she is frustrated by the fact that when she sets up these fundraisers for undocumented families, the only people who donate are either fellow immigrants or highly liberal “white hippies.” Her wealthy classmates from Harvard and Yale never seem to be able to contribute.

Cornejo Villavicencio then transitions into a discussion of the Sanctuary movement, where those facing deportation can legally dwell within a house of worship while their petition to stay in the United States is processed. She notes that churches and other houses of worship have a long history of providing a safe haven for those who may otherwise face persecution. This system works because ICE has a policy against forcibly entering houses of worship, for a mixture of legal and image-related reasons. However, the modern Sanctuary movement is far from ideal, and it takes a serious toll on those who are a part of it. Leonel Chavez and Francisco Valderra are both younger fathers whom Cornejo Villavicencio gets to know over the course of their confinements within a church outside of Yale.

For both Leonel and Francisco, Sanctuary is a dual blessing and curse. While they are able to avoid being deported outright, being confined within the church is akin to being in prison. They are not allowed to go home to their families or leave the church walls at all; instead, they rely on frequent visits from friends and loved ones to maintain their spirits. Outside food must be brought in, though both men lose weight as a result of their confinement anyway. Cornejo Villavicencio gets to know the families of both men and particularly bonds with the children. She worries about the long-term trauma associated with watching one’s father be confined and powerless, and she and her partner step in as additional caregivers, especially for Francisco‘s children.

Cornejo Villavicencio remarks that she never wanted children of her own, and she generally finds children unpleasant. However, she cannot prevent herself from allowing these children into her heart, and she does the best she can to support and uplift them. While she maintains that education and social mobility are typically white ideals, she still tells the children that it is important to take what they can from life and the white supremacist society they live in, as long as they retain their compassion and humanity.

Analysis 

Deportation and family separation are high-profile topics in the mainstream media, but as Cornejo Villavicencio notes, the coverage usually stops after the tearful farewell at the airport or detention center. However, life does not stop entirely for those impacted by deportation. Indeed, the spouses of those who have been deported are often forced to work even harder to compensate for the lost income that their partner represented. Their children must still attend school, all the while wondering when or even if they will see their deported parent again.

It is these continuous traumas that Cornejo Villavicencio focuses on as she interviews Javier’s grieving family. She laments that deportation is often the worst-case scenario for undocumented families, who must then face difficult decisions regarding how to move forward and where to live. Patricia and Javier encapsulate this difficulty as they argue over whether to relocate the children to Mexico to be with their father or to keep them in the United States. Both sides have reasonable arguments: one is focused on keeping the family together, while the other is focused on the future that living in the United States can provide.

The Sanctuary movement seeks to prevent people from having to make these difficult choices, but it is not without its hardships either. Although receiving sanctuary can prevent deportation outright, it still forces those involved to suffer through confinement. As Villavicencio bonds with Francisco’s children, she notes that they still suffer trauma as a result of their father’s circumstances. They are forced to contend with the powerlessness that undocumented immigrants face within the legal system, and although their father is still technically accessible, the man confined within the church becomes tragically disassociated from the free, loving, and present father they once had.