Wilberth Estrada Tells of His Forced Return to Mexico: “They Weren’t After Me, But They Caught Me and Deported Me”

• Wilberth Estrada: Deported after 22 years
• Assets abandoned in Texas
• A new start in Yucatán

Wilberth Estrada Maldonado spent 22 years in Texas building a future for his family but ended up deported, with nothing left except the support of his brothers.

“I lost everything. I had more than eight vehicles, all with proper papers, and they were all left abandoned,” said this migrant from Yucatán who, like thousands of Mexicans, went north with the hope of building a better life.

For over two decades, he worked humble jobs—first as a dishwasher, cleaning bathrooms, then at an automotive company, and buying and selling cars.

During those years, he managed to send money back to Mérida so his two children could study and earn their degrees, taking pride in having given them a professional education.

Wilberth Shares How He Lost Everything After Being Deported

 

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Una publicación compartida de El Universal (@eluniversalmx)

Until three months ago, Wilberth Estrada never thought he’d return to Mexico, convinced that his more than $250,000 in assets would ensure him peace and a good standard of living.

But everything changed when agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrived at the lot he rented to store his cars.

“They weren’t looking for me; they were after someone else, but I happened to be there, and they grabbed me. I spent three months in immigration facilities fighting to be allowed to stay in that country where for 22 years I never caused any trouble. But time kept passing with no solution, so I had to accept deportation,” said Wilberth, who was sent by land to Nuevo Laredo.

Returning was a harsh blow, leaving him without money or possessions and forcing him to readjust to life in Mexico, in his native Yucatán.

“I would never recommend that Mexicans go there, crossing illegally like I did and facing all the struggles and hardships. It was 22 years; I had built a life, and they kicked me out. The U.S. government doesn’t recognize or value what Mexicans and Latinos contribute to that country because Americans don’t do many of the jobs we do,” Wilberth Estrada explained with anger and disappointment.

He now works at a small mill in western Mérida, selling masa and tortillas, thanks to the help of one of his brothers who offered him a job in the business.

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“My kids graduated, they’re doing well. I’m here with nothing but my brothers’ support, starting over,” he said, resigned but determined, aiming to rebuild his life from scratch.

He acknowledges that the situation in the United States has changed for the worse: “President Trump is a resentful man. There’s persecution of Mexicans and Latinos. The atmosphere isn’t healthy—it’s living in constant fear.”

Wilberth Estrada Says He Would Not Return to the United States and Is Committed to Starting Anew in Mexico

“The current climate under this Trump government is completely different. Everyone’s afraid—it’s worse than before,” he said, recalling the constant tension experienced there.

“It’s not easy, but it’s better. Just so you know, I’ve lived it,” he warned those thinking of migrating without documents, recommending instead to “work hard here in Mexico to get ahead.”

Now, with the mill as his new project, he insists he would not go back to the United States even if he could, determined to work alongside his community to recover some of what he lost.

“I’m starting over, but this time here, with my people, and I believe that by working hard, I’ll be able to rebuild and get things back—things I left behind, things I lost there that will never return,” concluded Wilberth Estrada Maldonado.

Despite the pain and losses, he holds on to hope of rebuilding his life in Mexico, proving that even after losing everything, it’s possible to start again.

What do you think about Wilberth Estrada’s sad story?

SOURCE: El Universal