SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, Calif. – This is the eighth time in the last 13 years that Isabella, a Salvadorian immigrant, is packing her bag. She tells us why in Spanish.
“I feel this immense pain… I don’t know when I’ll be back, or even if I’ll be back,” said Isabella.
President Donald Trump’s announcement of immigration raids drove her to leave her San Fernando home for a hideout.
“I’m getting my things ready to go to a friend’s house, because right now I don’t feel safe here, because at any moment they can come looking for me,” said Isabella.
The “they” she is referring to, is Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. She is one of thousands targeted by Trump’s threat of immigration raids because of her order of removal, more commonly referred to as a deportation order from 2006.
The last thing she packs is a bible her brother gave her. She reads her favorite passage Joshua 1:9.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go,” said Isabella.
By helping Isabella get to her hide out, her loved ones are put in legal jeopardy due to her undocumented status.
“Harboring includes transporting, or attempting to transport an individual and it also includes shielding an individual,” said Isabella.
Immigration lawyer Edward Pilot, tells Spectrum News 1 that although the enforcement of the harboring law changes from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, consequences can be severe.
“It it’s for profit, it can be a maximum of 10 years in prison and if it’s not for profit, it can lead to five years in prison,” said Pilot.
But for her loved ones, keeping her from getting deported is worth the risk. As she walks into her hideout, she says that even thought this is the eighth time she is doing this, it never gets easier, because she has no idea when she might walk out.
The name of the person in this story has been changed to protect her identity.