A Sudden Arrest and the End of an American Dream
César Méndez left his house late that day, heading to work as usual. But as he approached his car, officers stopped him, pinned him against the wall, and handcuffed him. He had been caught in one of Trump’s immigration raids, abruptly ending his 20-year life in the United States. Now, barely a month into his new life in Fuerteventura, César is resetting the clock—just as he did in 2005 when he fled El Salvador for the US.
Escaping Gang Violence in El Salvador
Back in Cuscatlán, César worked long hours at a textile factory, earning just enough to keep food on the table. But daily gang threats made life unbearable. “They waited for me outside work, demanding money. If I refused, they beat me,” he told EFE in an interview. With no other choice, he left his daughter behind and embarked on the perilous journey north through Mexico.
The Harrowing Journey on “La Bestia”
For a month and a half, César faced hunger, thirst, and abuse along the migrant trail. Part of his journey was spent clinging to “La Bestia,” the infamous freight train that carries undocumented Central Americans across Mexico—often leaving a trail of mutilated or dead passengers. “The train moved terrifyingly fast. We had to jump on while running. One night, a storm soaked us for hours until we reached Tamaulipas—three days of cold, hunger, and rain,” he recalls. A smuggler eventually helped him cross into the US.
Building a Life—and Losing It
In California, César took whatever work he could find: dishwashing, car washing, construction. By 2011, he had moved to New Jersey and started a small construction business, inching closer to the American dream. Yet despite repeated attempts, he never obtained legal status. “Lawyers took my money, promised solutions, but nothing changed. Trump’s policies buried my last hope,” he says.
The Raid and a Five-Week Nightmare
When immigration officers surrounded his car on April 12, César’s life unraveled. Handcuffed and detained, he was shuttled between holding centers in New Jersey, Louisiana, and Texas for five weeks. “They woke us at 2 AM, shackled our hands and feet—like criminals. There’s no dignity there,” he says. On the flight back to El Salvador, he thought of everything he’d lost: his wife, his business, his car, his employees. “I’d built a life there.”
A Fresh Start in Fuerteventura
After reuniting with his Spanish wife in El Salvador, the couple chose Fuerteventura for its tranquility. Now, César is applying for residency through family ties. “All I’ve ever wanted is to work honestly. That’s what I sought in the US, and that’s what I’ll do here,” he says. With resilience honed by hardship, he’s starting over—again.
