AUSTIN, Texas — A letter obtained by Spectrum News details Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) grievances against Hilda Ramirez.
- Mother and son are living at a church
- Undocumented people all over the country are being fined
- Trump signed executive order commanding fines
Among those allegations — failing to leave the country when she was ordered to, failing to appear in court, and officials accuse Ramirez of "conspiring" to prevent or hamper her departure.
Hilda Ramirez says she's just chasing the American dream.
For over three years, Hilda Ramirez and her son Ivan have taken refuge inside the walls of a church.
“It breaks my heart that we’re living this way,” Hilda Ramirez said.
For them, it’s their only relief from deportation for now.
“Sometimes I can’t sleep. I think to myself, what if they come for me and my son?” she said.
Church leaders offered them sanctuary, but officials from ICE are now targeting undocumented immigrants like Hilda all over the country through hefty fines. For Hilda Ramirez, that’s over $300,000.
“I don’t even know what that number looks like! This is abuse, plain and simple,” she said.
The agency does have the authority to issue and collect these fines. When President Donald Trump began his term, he signed an executive order commanding the agency to begin fining immigrants.
Hilda Ramirez says this is an intimidation tactic but insists she’ll fight for a better life.
“I want a better life for him. I want him to go to school and make something of himself. I want him to have more than I did. I want to protect him,” she said.
Her son 13-year-old Ivan Ramirez has lived in this church since he was 8.
“I want my mom and I to have a normal life. To work, go to school, have a house and car. That’s all we want. Normal lives,” said Ivan Ramirez.
Hilda Ramirez says she and her lawyer are exploring legal avenues to fight this fine.
“That’s why I’m here. He’s the reason why I’ll keep fighting this. I’m fighting for my son,” she said.
Her message - she’s here to stay.