Housing crisis hits migrants hard in the U.S.
Without income or sufficient aid, migrants in Los Angeles are living on the brink of eviction due to the growing housing crisis and ICE raids.
Photo of Parker Coffman in Unsplash
According to an AFP report, the migration crisis is facing one of the worst housing crises in recent US history. Thousands of migrant families, especially Latinos, live on a tightrope between economic hardship and the constant fear of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids.
One of them is Martha, an undocumented Mexican mother living in Buena Park, a suburb of Los Angeles. Her life changed abruptly in early July when her husband was arrested by immigration agents. “He is the pillar of the family… he was the only one who worked,” she recounted under a pseudonym. Since then, she has to bear the cost of rent, her two young daughters, and survive on a minimum wage earned from working a night shift at a factory.
Raids, fear and impossible housing
Los Angeles, where approximately one-third of the population are migrants, lives today in uncertainty and fear.
Unaffordable housing, low wages, and an intensification of immigration raids. In June, more than 2,200 people were detained by ICE, 60 of whom had no criminal record, according to documents obtained by AFP. The operations, in workplaces such as hardware stores and bus stops, have sown terror in the community.
“The anti-immigrant offensive not only affects those arrested, but also those left behind without support,” warned Andrea González, deputy director of the Clean Car Wash Workers Center, an organization that provides assistance to affected families.
The group has allocated more than $30,000 to help some 20 migrant families cover their rent. But González acknowledges that the resources are insufficient: "It's unsustainable. The concern is that more families will end up on the streets."
Rents in Los Angeles are among the highest in the country. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Zillow platformThe average rent in the county exceeds $2,300 per month. This, combined with the high cost of living, makes this city one of the most unaffordable in the country, especially for those working in informal or low-income jobs.
Urgent proposals
Given the magnitude of the problem, local authorities have begun to take action. Los Angeles County and the city are developing special funds with philanthropic support to offer cards with modest aid amounts of a few hundred dollars, Mayor Karen Bass announced.
But for González and other activists, these efforts barely scratch the surface. "These amounts aren't even enough to cover 10% of the monthly rent for many families," she criticized.
Various community organizations have proposed establishing a new eviction moratorium, similar to the one implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was key to preventing thousands from ending up on the streets. Without structural measures, Los Angeles could see its already high number of evictions rise again. homeless people, which currently numbers more than 72,000.
Possible solutions for migrants
A possible moratorium would bring relief to people like 59-year-old María Martínez, whose undocumented husband was detained in June. Since then, with her disability benefit of just $1,000, she hasn't been able to pay the $1,800 rent without help from her children. "It's stressful... we're barely surviving," she said.
The fear of being detained is causing many migrants to stop going to work, health centers, or even seeking help. According to data from the Migration Policy InstituteAt least 11 million people live undocumented in the United States, many of them in regions where the cost of living is rising rapidly.
Federal immigration policy, coupled with the lack of affordable housing, has created a slow-motion humanitarian crisis. And as González warns, "what we are experiencing right now is an emergency."
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