“Today is my last day in the United States 20 years from now. It’s time to go,” said Alfredo Linares, who left Culver City with his American wife eight weeks ago, fearing arrest, detention and deportation.
“I felt very emotional and sad,” said Linares, who chose to self-promotion in her native Mexico before being targeted by ice agents. “I just felt like I was being picked up and asked questions and more.”
Linares illegally moved to the United States when he was just a teenager. For 20 years he excelled in the food industry and worked towards chefs in Michelin-starred restaurants.
Two years ago, he and his wife, Raegan Kline, started their business together to run a street vending pop-up and catering business.
They were hoping to get married and revise Linares’ immigrant status, which would have meant he had to return to Mexico for at least 10 years.
He didn’t want to be separated from his wife, he wanted immigration reform.
Reagan Klein, a US citizen, said she decided to move to Mexico with her husband, who decided to promote herself amidst immigrant crackdowns.
However, the new administration meant that his hopes had been shattered, and the couple decided they wanted to avoid the chaos of deportation and leave LA on their terms.
“I loved it there. It was home, my home and it was hard to leave,” said Raygan, who is learning Spanish when she manipulates her new life in a new country. “I’m not going to risk my husband going to work camp or being sent to El Salvador.”
For now, they come to Puerto Vallarta and hope that this is their new home and where they feel safe and free.
“Everything will be fine,” Linares said. “You need to understand to let things go so you can get blessings.”
Just as Linares feels about the future of a Mexican couple, their first two months were like a roller coaster of emotions. He said it was fun to meet his mother in person for the first time in 20 years, but emphasized that he would start a business and a new life in a country where he barely remembers.
“I feel like I’m a foreigner in my country,” Linares said.
“I also experienced a feeling of betraying (USA),” Reagan said. “I feel like I’m the type of person who stays and fights.”
For now, they are focusing on each other, their new counties, their new homes, and each other without feeling afraid and free in Mexico.
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