(MENAFN) In Los Angeles, undocumented immigrants are facing increasing hardship as US President Donald Trump’s intensified Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids continue to disrupt lives. When her husband was detained in a recent immigration sweep, Martha—a pseudonym used for her safety—lost not only her partner but also the family’s sole source of income.

“He was the pillar of the family… the only one working,” she said, describing the sudden financial strain on herself and her two daughters. The family now struggles to stay afloat in a city where housing costs are prohibitively high and homelessness remains a major issue.

Martha, 39, managed to secure a minimum-wage night shift at a factory to cover basic expenses after her husband’s arrest, including rent for their 700-square-foot Buena Park apartment, which costs $2,050 per month. While the job prevents them from becoming homeless, it falls short of covering other essential costs such as car insurance, phone bills, and school supplies for her six- and seven-year-old daughters.

The raids, part of Trump’s broader deportation campaign targeting undocumented immigrants, have destabilized many households across Los Angeles, a city where one-third of residents are immigrants and hundreds of thousands live without legal status.

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