DANG, Feb 15: Samir Pandey (name changed) from Ghorahi, Dang, who reached the US six months ago through the ‘donkey route,’ has been hiding in his room for two weeks, unable to go to work. He anxiously wonders when his stay in the US will end.
Despite hiding for some time, Pandey still hopes the situation will improve. "It’s been two weeks, and I haven’t been able to go to work," he told Republica via social media platform. "We are all hiding, hoping the situation will get better, but our only fear is when we might be deported."
The US government's latest policy classifies Pandey, who is in California, as undocumented. The policy, which seeks to deport non-US citizens living illegally in the country, is making Pandey's stay in the US increasingly uncertain.
"There is no environment to go outside; the police are searching for and deporting people," Pandey said. "I have to hide, fearing they might send me back to Nepal." Pandey, who paid nearly Rs 7.5 million to reach the US through the lower route, now fears losing his investment.
Nepalis trying to enter US illegally from different countries s...
Pandey, who borrowed money to reach the US, feels that repaying the debt would bring some relief. "I invested nearly Rs 7.5 million to come to America, and I borrowed all of it," he said. "The debt is the same here; at least if I could repay it, I would feel relief. But if I have to return to Nepal in this situation, how will I repay such a huge debt?"
Pandey had just started working at a store in California. However, fearing deportation, he hasn't gone to work recently. After the US adopted a deportation policy, he began regretting his decision to come to the US. "Now, I’m starting to question why I came here," he said. "I had different dreams, but the reality is turning out to be different."
Rajan KC (name changed) from Dang, who is with Pandey, also fears deportation back to Nepal. He chose the perilous route via South America and Mexico seven months ago with plans to earn a large amount of money and settle in the US long-term.
KC, who paid over Rs 7 million to an agent to reach the US, now faces significant stress due to US President Donald Trump’s policies. He lives in constant fear of when he might be caught and deported back to Nepal.
He said, "There is no way to go to work; many like us have been caught and deported while working. If I go to work, I fear getting caught, so I have to hide in my room."
He is also troubled by how he will repay the debt he incurred to reach the US if he is deported back to Nepal. On top of that, KC worries about how he will earn money since he hasn't been able to work.
"How long can we hide like this? If we don't work, how will we earn?" he said. "If I could at least repay the debt I took to come here, returning to Nepal wouldn't be an issue. But now, if I have to go back, how will I pay off such a large amount? It's causing me a lot of worry."
KC had been working at a store, but since he now has to hide in his room, he explained that he hasn’t been able to go to work. He also shared that many other Nepali people, like him, are facing similar uncertainty.
He also mentioned that non-US citizens, including Nepalis, who reached the US through illegal means are now hiding. "It's not just Nepalis; many citizens from other countries who reached the US are also unable to go to work," he said. "Out of fear of deportation, many people are hiding."
After Donald Trump was elected President, he introduced a policy to deport illegal foreigners living in the country. This policy has already led to the deportation of some Nepalis and other non-American citizens from the US. Nepalis living in the US say that the policy has instilled fear in those who reached the US through the illegal route, as they are now afraid of being sent back to Nepal.
