President Donald Trump's Strict Immigration Policies, Michelle Berrios Seeks Asylum in Ireland

President Donald Trump's Strict Immigration Policies, Michelle Berrios Seeks Asylum in Ireland

Tracy, California, January 16, 2025: Amidst the Trump administration's rhetoric, which has threatened to deport many immigrants, Michelle Berrios has left the United States, considering her future safety. A former leader of the Nicaraguan student movement, Berrios entered the U.S. under humanitarian parole in 2023, but facing threats and the climate of fear under the Trump administration, she decided to leave the U.S. on her own.

Despite her legal status, Berrios chose to leave the U.S. She explained, "We know that our family will not be accepted here, so I decided that I need to take myself to a safer place." The major reasons behind her decision were the threats from Trump and the harshness of the country’s immigration policies.

Berrios, who participated in an anti-government movement in Nicaragua in 2018, said, "I spent five years in a terror-like situation in Nicaragua. I was forced to change everything; my life had to change completely."

After entering the U.S., Berrios stayed under President Joe Biden's humanitarian parole program. However, she faced a new uncertainty due to Trump's racist rhetoric and hostility towards immigrants during his electoral campaign.

Subsequently, she left the U.S. and sought asylum from the Irish government. She was quickly granted identification documents by the Irish government and is now sheltered there. Following her application in Ireland, she may soon be able to obtain a work permit and is waiting for permanent residency.

This incident highlights a new form of ‘self-deportation,’ where immigrants are unintentionally creating conditions to leave the country. The concept of ‘self-deportation,’ promoted by the Trump administration, is now becoming a reality, as many immigrants are leaving the U.S. for their own safety and future prospects.