Elibexis Alvarez, a Venezuelan migrant, found herself preparing to give birth to her first child in Chicago with her husband after fleeing escalating violence in Venezuela. They have spent the last four months in temporary shelters, struggling to find work and permanent housing. While they long for stability, they were grateful for the more comfortable living situation in a temporary hotel shelter where they shared a room with Alvarez’s sister-in-law and young nephew, who had also made the journey north. They prayed that Medina would soon get a work permit to allow them to move out of the shelter and find a permanent home, fulfilling their dreams for their son.
The decision to leave Venezuela was driven by the danger faced by Medina due to his activism against President Nicolás Maduro. They had been targeted multiple times and feared for their lives, prompting them to flee the country. Their journey was perilous, with encounters with criminals and armed assaults along the way. After turning themselves into immigration enforcement while Alvarez was six months pregnant, they were separated briefly before being reunited in January. Over 41,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since 2022, straining the city’s resources and leading to difficulties in finding permanent housing.
Chicago, along with other cities, has struggled to keep up with the influx of migrants and asylum-seekers, leading to measures such as shelter evictions and enforcing 60-day shelter limits. Pregnant migrants and families with children are currently exempt from the policy, allowing them to reapply for shelter after their 60 days are over. However, many migrants remain in the shelter system due to the lack of work permits or the inability to afford permanent housing. Migrants who do qualify for work permits often have to wait about six months before they can start working, leading to financial difficulties for families like Alvarez and Medina.
Medina wakes up early each day to look for work as a day laborer, hoping to provide for his family. They struggle to save money, using whatever he earns to buy food to supplement the shelter’s offerings. Alvarez often accompanied her husband on these trips, relying on their faith and support from their church to navigate the challenges they faced. She described the sacrifices her husband made, going hungry so that she and her pregnant wife could eat. Despite the hardships, they remained hopeful for a brighter future for themselves and their newborn son, focusing on their dreams of stability, work, education, and a better life in America compared to the turmoil in Venezuela.
Alvarez expressed her desire to work, learn English, and pursue a career specialization in the future, drawing on her experience as a nurse technician in Venezuela. She wanted to provide her son with a life that would be impossible in their home country at the moment. Their days revolved around Medina’s job search and Alvarez’s doctor appointments, with their faith providing them with strength and hope. As they welcomed their healthy baby boy into the world, they were determined to build a better future for him, holding onto their dreams of stability and prosperity in the United States.
