Ahmedabad: Going to a shopping mall or filling up at a fuel station is routine for most. But for Gujaratis living in the US with uncertain immigration status, each outing brings the fear of being picked up by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The dread of detention and deportation is so acute that some asylum seekers are keeping a low profile, changing jobs and phone numbers, and staying away from immigration courts, even if missing a hearing could bring them closer to deportation.As ICE steps up enforcement, many are avoiding financial transactions that could leave a paper trail. Some are even giving up legal representation, unsure whether spending thousands of dollars will help them remain in the country.The anxiety has intensified following recent cases in which Gujaratis were detained in public places and deported.In Aug, four youths from Karjisan village in Kalol taluka of Gandhinagar district were detained by ICE officers at a fuel station in Tennessee and deported that very day. All in their mid-twenties, they had reportedly entered the US in Oct 2024 on a chartered flight arranged through the donkey route.In another case, a 34-year-old woman from Bhatasan village in Mehsana district was detained at a shopping mall in Florida and deported along with her four-year-old son, a US citizen. A relative said she chose to take the child with her because he depended on her.For one Gujarati who sought asylum in the US claiming persecution because of his political activities, the fear of detention has become strong enough to make him consider missing his next immigration court hearing. He knows that skipping it could result in a deportation order, but sources familiar with his case said he remains reluctant to appear. He has changed his phone number, stopped accepting salary payments by cheque and stopped paying taxes. His priority, sources said, is to earn as much as possible while remaining in the US.For another Gujarati based in Chicago, the uncertainty has come at a steep financial cost. The man said he paid nearly $50,000 (Rs 47 lakh approx.) to a New York immigration lawyer to handle his family’s asylum application. But he did not send his wife and daughter to a scheduled ICE appointment after the lawyer allegedly demanded another $8,000 (Rs 7.6 lakh approx.) to cover travel, accommodation, and related expenses.Immigration lawyers said intensified enforcement had heightened anxiety among migrants whose asylum claims may be weak or whose legal status remains uncertain. Some who previously held jobs and paid taxes are now avoiding formal financial transactions and reconsidering whether to renew their work permits, they said.The fear has also influenced decisions about whether to stay in the country. A 45-year-old man from Mehsana who entered the US with his family in 2022 said he and his wife left before Donald Trump returned to office because they feared stricter immigration enforcement. Their 19-year-old son, who remains in the US, is reportedly avoiding court appearances for fear of being detained.
