Living in Fear: How Immigration Enforcement Is Reshaping Families’ Lives
At MAF, we listen deeply to the communities we serve to learn what matters most in their lives and how to serve them best. On September 10, 2025, we launched a national survey in both English and Spanish to gain insight into how the current political environment is impacting MAF clients, primarily immigrant families not eligible for federal support.
More than 1,200 families responded, offering vivid insights into the fears, disruptions, and hardships that families are facing. What we’re learning is both sobering and urgent: immigration enforcement is reshaping the fabric of daily life. Immigrant families are retreating into isolation, children are living with anxiety, and parents are struggling to meet basic needs. Yet families are also clear about what would help — financial relief, food support, legal aid, and trusted community-based services that honor their dignity and protect their safety.
This blog shares what we have learned from the survey: the impacts on families, the support they need most, and how we can all stand together with immigrant communities in this critical moment.
A Climate of Fear
For many families, the fear of immigration enforcement isn’t a distant thought — it’s a shadow that follows them everywhere. Our survey’s results show that about one in four families (25%) have had a direct encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including threats, arrests, detentions, or deportations. But even beyond those cases, the fear ripples outward.
Two-thirds of families (66%) reported taking precautionary measures to stay safe, even without direct ICE contact. These precautions include staying home, avoiding public places, and limiting their children’s activities. One respondent put it simply:
“We say goodbye in the morning not knowing if we’ll see each other again.”
This climate of fear is reshaping how families move through the world. Parents described no longer feeling safe at school events, parks, or even grocery stores. The result is a community living in hiding, not because of what has happened, but because of what could happen.
Daily Life Disrupted
The scale of disruption is staggering. Families reported that immigration enforcement is shaping nearly every aspect of their daily lives. The sacrifices they make, both large and small, add up to a profound sense of isolation.
Our survey’s data tells a powerful story of this disruption:
These numbers aren’t just statistics. They represent countless canceled outings, missed community events, and social gatherings avoided out of fear. They are sheltering in place, just as we all had to do during the worst days of the COVID pandemic. One parent described it simply:
“We are afraid of going to the park when we used to go every Sunday.”
The disruption doesn’t only affect social life. When families avoid medical care or government programs, the consequences ripple into health, education, and long-term wellbeing. Communities lose trust in public systems meant to serve them, reinforcing cycles of exclusion.
Financial Hardship
In addition to fear and isolation, families are facing crushing financial burdens. Immigration enforcement disrupts work opportunities, undermines household stability, and forces impossible trade-offs between essentials. The survey’s data highlights a community pushed to the brink:
Families told us they feel “desesperada” (“desperate”) as they fall behind on bills and worry about their children’s needs. One parent explained the impossible position many are in:
“Behind on rent… cannot give my children good food or clothes.”
Families said children no longer feel safe participating in activities, and some struggle with anxiety that interrupts school performance or friendships. Parents themselves live under immense stress, describing sleepless nights, physical symptoms of worry, and the daily pain of not knowing if their family will be separated.
The emotional toll is an invisible tax that erodes family wellbeing over time. It is not captured in paychecks or bills, but in every moment of hesitation, every goodbye clouded by fear.
What Families Say They Need
Amid these challenges, families were also clear about what would make the biggest difference. The survey asked respondents what support would be most helpful, and their answers paint a clear roadmap for action.
1. Basic Needs Assistance
Families’ most urgent needs are simple and fundamental: help with rent, food, and utilities. Nearly every respondent emphasized these essentials. One parent pleaded:
“Lo más necesario [es] que me ayuden a pagar la renta y biles.”
(“The most necessary thing is help paying rent and bills.”)
2. Legal and Informational Support
Approximately one-third of families identified legal aid as a top priority. Many people want to know their rights, have trusted attorneys ready in case of an emergency, and access reliable information about changes in immigration policy. As one respondent put it:
“I need an attorney ready por si pasa algo — in case something happens.”
3. Health and Emotional Support
Roughly a third of families asked for mental health counseling to cope with stress and trauma. Parents noted the toll on children in particular, who are growing up in fear. Some families rely on faith or informal community groups for support. Still, many expressed a need for professional counseling or peer groups where they can safely share their experiences and receive support.
4. Accessible Community Services
Several families stated that they would use services if they were delivered in a manner that made them feel safe. One respondent suggested:
“Resources where you won’t have to go out… like mobile food [deliveries].”
This highlights the importance of bringing resources directly to families — through mobile programs, trusted community hubs, or services that include childcare and transportation support. Providing services in a manner that respects their dignity and ensures their safety is essential.
What This Means for Us
The findings from this survey are clear: families are navigating a climate of fear and financial insecurity, and they urgently need trusted, accessible support. This moment is both a challenge and a responsibility for all of us.
Here’s how we can begin to build a path forward:
Invest in Emergency Relief
Rent assistance, food support, and utility relief are not extras — they are lifelines. By providing direct financial support, we can help stabilize households and prevent more severe crises, such as eviction or hunger.
Expand Wraparound Services
Families are seeking legal aid, mental health counseling, and employment support, alongside financial relief. Integrated, wraparound services can help families address immediate needs while also building resilience for the future.
Support Trusted Access Points
Because families fear exposure, services must be delivered through trusted community organizations and safe access points. Mobile programs, culturally relevant providers, and community-based networks are essential.
Center Children and Families
The emotional toll on children deserves urgent attention. We can provide counseling, safe spaces, and enrichment activities to help children grow and thrive despite difficult circumstances.
Moving Forward Together
Immigrant families are carrying an enormous burden in silence. The data shows us the scope: widespread fear, disrupted lives, financial strain, and emotional pain. The stories give it voice: parents too afraid to take children to the park, families desperate for rent help, and children living in constant anxiety.
But the survey also offers hope — a roadmap drawn from families themselves. By investing in financial relief, legal and mental health services, and trusted community delivery, we can help families not only survive but also begin to rebuild lives of dignity and stability.
At MAF, we are committed to listening to families, amplifying their voices, and responding with programs that meet their realities. We invite you to join us in this work. Together, we can transform fear into trust, isolation into community, and hardship into resilience.
To learn more about the ALMA Fund and how we’re building a future where every family can live with dignity and stability, visit: mafito.info/alma-fund.