Edgar Martinez faces uncertainty as he works towards citizenship amid immigration fears.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Edgar Martinez has spent 15 years building a life in Arlington, but now he says he and his family are living in fear.
Through an interpreter, Martinez shared his struggles with WFAA as he worked to finalize his citizenship documents.
“From one day to the next, he doesn’t know if he’s going to be here,” said Edgar Martinez, “But I’ve worked so hard. I have my home; I have my business. He’s very involved in the community.”
For Martinez, the uncertainty weighs heavily as he prays, he can remain in the community he calls home. Since moving to Arlington 15 years ago, he and his wife have been raising 5 children. Although it has not been easy, they are happy.
When he first arrived in the U.S., Edgar collected scrap metal to help make ends meet. Since then, he has started his own business.
Restaurant owner Rosario Limon is also seeing the impact of immigration fears.
Limon opened Taqueria La Original 29 years ago on South Cooper Street in Arlington and has a second location on East Pioneer Parkway. They serve authentic Mexican food and have built a strong customer base from all ethnicities. However, the majority of their customers are from the Latino community.
Limon says her restaurants, which once had customers filling every booth, are now struggling as fears of immigration enforcement have driven customers away.
“We used to have people wait outside, and since the business has gone that really low,” Limon said.
Those concerns have grown and come at a valid time. During an incident at a Mexican restaurant in Dallas, the owner got an unexpected visit with customers inside. Surveillance footage showed immigration officers entering the restaurant and detaining a customer. They walked him out in handcuffs without speaking to the owner.
Martinez says he remains on edge while working to finalize his citizenship. He strongly believes he will be successful but expressed concerns about the uncertainty of immigration laws possibly changing. He shared through the interpreter what life is like at home sometimes when they are feeling easy.
“He tells his wife to look out the window, you know, just to make sure that everything’s going to be okay. But they live in fear,” said Edgar Martinez.
For Limon, the uncertainty also poses a threat to her livelihood. She has already had to cut back on staffing. She is relying heavily on family members to help her stay afloat. She is also counting on more customers who will patronize the restaurants.
“They also fear that they don’t know what’s going to happen in the future,” said Rosario Limon.
As Martinez and Limon navigate their challenges, the weight of these fears continues to shape their pursuit of the American dream.
