How an ICE arrest changed a Massachusetts family

Report for America|

In April, ICE agents stopped Juan Francisco Méndez and his wife, Marilú Domingo Ortiz, while they were driving, saying they were looking for someone named Antonio. The couple showed the agents their documentation to prove they had the wrong person. Marilú began recording the interaction, and then, the agents broke through the car window with an axe.

Marilú says she has been struggling to pay for his legal fees on top of rent and food since her husband’s detention; but she’s been relying on support she’s getting from local immigrants’ assistance groups. (Paul C. Kelly Campos/The Public’s Radio)

Corps member Paul C. Kelly Campos followed up with Marilú about the moment that went viral across social media. Paul’s reporting went beyond coverage of the incident and humanized the family, sharing their history with seeking asylum from Guatemala and how they have built their life in this new country.

Paul C. Kelly Campos is a Report For America corps member covering democracy and politics for The Public’s Radio in Providence, Rhode Island.