After more than 15 years living and working in the United States, Victor, an undocumented immigrant from Yucatán, Mexico, has decided to leave the country voluntarily.
He said he would rather buy a one-way ticket home than risk being arrested, detained or deported under increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement.
“I love to work,” Victor told NBC Bay Area. “But the way they’re detaining people—it’s unfair. They’re being treated like animals. We come here to work, not looking for problems.”
Victor arrived in San Francisco in 2007, just 16-years-old and full of hope for opportunity. Over the years, he built a life for himself, working his way up from dishwasher to kitchen manager. He said he’s paid taxes and kept a clean criminal record but remains undocumented.
In the last five years, Victor has worked alongside the Makableh brothers at Mazra, a popular Bay Area Mediterranean restaurant. They started the business without much experience and credit Victor for the successful launch of their downtown Redwood City location.
“As cliché as it sounds, calling them employees feels off—they’re literally my co-workers,” said Jordan Makableh, co-owner of Mazra. “Victor has been essential to this restaurant, to the staff, the development, the menu—everything.”
When the Makablehs learned, Victor was planning to return to Mexico, they made a tribute video posted on Instagram, calling Victor “a leader” and praising the love and dedication he poured into his work.
Victor’s decision to leave comes as immigration enforcement intensifies across the country. A Department of Homeland Security campaign urging undocumented immigrants to self-deport has pushed undocumented immigrants to make tough decisions– especially those without a clear or quick path to legal status.
According to the American Immigration Council, of the estimated 13 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., most do not have a way to “get in line” for legal residency because, in many cases, no such line exists.
Victor had tried.
Years ago, he applied for a U visa—a form of humanitarian relief for victims of certain crimes—after being robbed at knifepoint outside a bank in San Francisco. But like many, he’s still waiting for a decision.
“They followed me to my car, put a knife on me, and took everything—my phone, my money,” Victor recalled. “I applied for the U visa, but it’s been years.”
Now, he’s choosing to leave—on his own terms.
“I haven’t seen my mom in a long time. My son, too, I haven’t seen him since he was a baby,” Victor said. “My family is there. It’s time to go back.”
Jordan Makableh said recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in the Bay Area have shaken his staff.
“It messes with morale,” he said. “They’re afraid. If this block got hit, it wouldn’t just be us, it would affect the whole block. A lot of businesses could be going out.”
Though Victor is leaving, he said he has spoken with an immigration attorney about the possibility of continuing his U visa application process from Mexico.
It’s unclear how many immigrants like Victor have chosen to self-deport, but labor statistics suggest that roughly one million foreign-born workers have exited the U.S. workforce since March.
“Go see your family,” Victor said. “You never know what could happen. Today I’m here telling you this story—tomorrow, I don’t know. I don’t even know if I’ll make it.”
Victor is scheduled to fly back home later this month.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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