Antonio and Eva: a family separated and fighting to survive
Antonio Ramirez is 32 years old and was deported after living in the United States for thirty years. Antonio came to the US when he was just months old, crossing the border from Mexico with his mother. Unfortunately he never received the support of his father which affected him in his youth and adolescence. 
Eventually he married Eva Munoz and they had two daughters, Elena, who is now 6 years old, and Maria who is now 8. Eva had a daughter from a previous relationship – Evelyn, who is 10 – and Antonio also adopted her as his own.
His father-in-law Trinidad Munoz, tells of how in 2009 Antonio was stopped for a traffic violation and then taken to a detention center where he was kept for months before finally being deported to Mexico in June of that year. Antonio has three daughters who he is unable to adequately support financially because his current salary in Tijuana is $200 a month, which is hardly enough to pay for his own basic needs.
As a consequence of Antonio’s deportation, Eva was not able to continue paying the monthly payment on the house that they had bought together and the bank therefore foreclosed on their home. Eva is now trying to support her children while working as a house cleaner in Boise, Idaho. Her salary is barely enough to pay for rent, food, and school supplies.
Evelyn, the oldest daughter, is temporarily living with her grandparents until the family’s economic situation improves. Eva’s father Trinidad talks about Evelyn’s concern for the family’s situation and how she says that if her mother is deported then she’ll return to live in Mexico.
