Jose lays tile flooring for a living, meticulously measuring, cutting and troweling messy grout. It’s painstaking, tedious work.
“I was counting the other day and I did 18 jobs until I found what I really like to do for living,” he says.
We’re using the 44-year old’s first name only because he’s an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who's lived in the United State for 30 years. This is the only home he’s really known.
“When I was 14 years old, I come here. I have a dream,” says Jose.
Jose’s story
Jose's dream as a teenager was to provide for his family after his father died shortly after arriving in the United States. Initially, he worked in the fields in Florida before moving to Alabama, Georgia and eventually the Lowcountry.
Here, Jose’s found success as a contractor. While it’s illegal for someone to hire him, Jose can legally own his own business, which he does. He says he makes good money and pays taxes through a special number provided by the Internal Revenue Service.
“They take money every month,” says Jose. “I’m paying them a lot of money.”
Deal to divulge
The American Immigration Council says more than one million undocumented immigrants like Jose own businesses and pay billions in taxes this way.
But President Donald Trump has been pushing for the IRS to divulge their information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of his plans for mass deportations. Monday, the treasury secretary and the secretary of Homeland Security signed a deal that will allow ICE to cross track the names and addresses of undocumented workers through IRS tax records. Those opposed say the agreement violates privacy laws.
Jose says he refuses to worry about being deported.
“If that happens, what are we going to do? We can start again,” he says.
ICE impersonators
But across the Lowcountry, many immigrants, both undocumented and documented are worried.
Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, a Huger man posing as an ICE agent was caught on video, taunting and threatening to deport two Hispanic men he stopped in their truck on Sullivan’s Island.
Sean-Michael Johnson was later arrested and charged with kidnapping as well as impersonating a police officer. And he’s not the only one. There have been several ICE impersonations around the nation.
A new sheriff
Immigrants fear not only ICE, but local authorities like Charleston County’s newly elected, Republican sheriff, Carl Ritchie. During his campaign, Sheriff Ritchie promised to work again with federal agents after his Democratic predecessor, Kristin Graziano ended a voluntary agreement with ICE.
In January, members of the Hispanic and Latino community shared their concerns with Sheriff Ritchie and other local leaders, including North Charleston Police Chief Ron Camacho, North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess and State Representative Deon Tedder.
They gathered at Change Up Cuts, a multicultural barbershop and community center founded in part by Feidin Santana. He’s the eye witness whose cell phone video captured the 2015 shooting death of a Black man, Walter Scott, at the hands of a white, former North Charleston police officer.
A community meeting
Dozens of immigrants remained anonymous by putting their questions for local leaders in writing. Those questions were then read and translated by community members like Fernando Soto. He’s the founder of the online Spanish news outlet, Noticias Nuestro Estado.
Most of the questions and comments were aimed at the new sheriff.
“Some of our families are afraid that ICE will be allowed to go into our schools, take our children and separate them,” Soto said.
Sheriff Ritchie assured people his deputies will not go into schools, and said they are safe as long as they obey the law. He also told the group an agreement with ICE was on pause until he learned more.
“We’re not out to abuse anyone, not out rounding up folks,” Sheriff Ritchie said in a sit-down interview within weeks of the meeting.
“It’s going to be done in a fair and equitable way,” he said.
Just last month, the sheriff officially rejoined an ICE agreement, fulfilling his campaign promise.
Betrayed and panicked
Soto, who again translated questions for his community, says they feel betrayed and panicked by the new agreement. While the sheriff vows to be fair, Soto points out each officer has discretion. For instance, Walter Scott was pulled over for a broken brake light.
“Discretion is arbitrary,” says Soto. “We’re talking about people’s lives, people’s safety, people’s families that are ultimately left to someone’s feeling in the moment.”
What’s more, the 30-year-old says the immigrant community is still scarred by the separation of families when Barack Obama was president. He vividly remembers parents taken from peers.
“The trauma that lives in our community has a long, lasting impact,” says Soto.
While President Obama oversaw what was then a record number of deportations, he also promised reform and a path to citizenship. Jose says he’s tried to get documented but has given up hope.
“They change their minds all the time,” he says.
“I don’t trust whatever they say. ‘Oh, we’re going to give your this’, but it’s a lie.”
Jose believes undocumented workers who commit crimes should be deported. That’s why he works hard, pays taxes and stays out of trouble.
“I love this country,” he says. “They have everything that we need.”
Jose has six children. He’s already put two through college. Providing a better life for his family is still Jose's American dream.
“Really, the happiness we need is in the family.”
Jose says if he’s deported, he’ll take his family with him, leaving the country he loves without the work they now contribute and the taxes they pay.
