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Alejandra Juarez is a military wife and mother of two who is originally from Mexico and most recently was living in Davenport, Florida. She is one of the undocumented immigrants whose life is profiled in the new Netflix series, Living Undocumented.
At the time of filming, Alejandra had been living in the United States for twenty years. She was slated for deportation after Trump was elected, despite being a military wife. She filed multiple appeals, but they were all denied, and she was deported in early 2019.
Alejandra and her youngest daughter, Estrella, are now living in Mexico, according to Netflix. Her husband, Temo, and older daughter, Pamela, are living in Florida.
To Netflix, Alejandra said she has had nightmares for many years about returning to Mexico, which she no longer considers a home. She said that she now realizes “they weren’t nightmares, they were messages from God to prepare me from what’s coming.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Juarez Appealed for Multiple Stays of Removal; She Was Denied That Stay, & Deported
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Juarez’s story unravels during the first three episodes of Living Undocumented; during those episodes, she explains that she left Mexico in 1998. Her reasons for living had to do with safety, she said: her boss allegedly assaulted her, and when she told the police, he was notified, and then went on to inform her that if she ever said anything again he would kill her.
Alejandra said, “I thought the only way to get out was to leave…my community.”
She then went on to marry a former Marine and have two daughters. At the time of filming, her oldest daughter Pamela was 16 years old, and her younger daughter Estrella was 9 years old. She went undetected for several years until her undocumented status was revealed during a routine traffic stop in 2013, she says. She was required to check in regularly with ICE for five years. Then, after Trump was elected, she was selected for deportation.
Alejandra and her husband determined that Estrella would go back with her to Mexico if she was deported, because he works all day and Estrella isn’t old enough to take care of herself, like Pamela is.
Alejandra’s Husband, Temo, Voted for Trump
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During the profile of Alejandra, viewers learn that her husband voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Alejandra said, “My husband said, ‘You don’t have to worry. He loves the military. You are not a criminal.’
As for Temo, he does acknowledge his decision to vote for Trump, though he speaks sparingly to Netflix about how he feels about the administration now. He said at one point, “She does remind me that he’s breaking our family apart, so she’s kind of upset about it.”
Alejandra admitted that her marriage has changed since Trump was elected. She said, “Our marriage prior to this administration was great…I have to think, ‘Okay, he voted for Donald trump, but he didnt know Donald trump was going to deport people like me.'”
Congressman Darren Soto Introduced a Private Bill on Behalf of Alejandra, in the Hopes of Granting Her a Stay
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Florida Congressman Darren Soto introduced a private bill in January 2019 for Alejandra, in the hopes that he could grant her a stay in the United States. He told Netflix that the fact that she was a military wife “struck a nerve” with his office. The bill has not yet been voted on. In a statement following the bill’s introduction, Soto said,
Alejandra’s departure from the United States was heartbreaking. I joined the Juarez family at the airport the day of the deportation and witnessed how devastating Trump’s harsh immigration policies can be, literally tearing families apart. Since that day, I made a promise to the Juarez family to never give up fighting to reunite them. Just like Temo Juarez defended our country abroad and never gave up when we needed him most. Now, he needs us. That’s why I’m proud to re-file this legislation to help not only the Juarez family, but the over 11,800 military families who are at-risk of deportation. This continues to be the perfect opportunity for both political parties to come together and act to make sure we’re standing by our military families. Now in the majority, we are optimistic this legislation will move forward, giving Alejandra hope to soon reunite with her family in her home, the United States.