Faith Amid Fear: A Mother and Daughter’s Separation and Healing

Trigger Warning: This story mentions depictions of violence and sexual abuse.

The following story is about Pilar* and her daughter, Silvia, who fled Guatemala after being targeted by a violent gang, leaving behind their community and the church that had once been their refuge. Upon reaching the U.S., they endured the trauma of being separated under the Trump administration’s Zero Tolerance Policy, followed by months of confinement in detention. Both Silvia and Pilar have written their personal testimonies about the event, which can be read below. 

In their hometown in Guatemala, Pilar and her daughter Silvia found solace in their local church which they would visit almost daily despite the lengthy one-hour long walk to get there. This daily pilgrimage, which provided the pair immense peace away from the challenges they faced in their community, was soon tarnished when gangs started targeting Silvia who had just entered her teenage years. 

“We noticed strangers began to enter the town we lived in but didn’t want to move backward so we kept going with the things of God and continued going to church.” 

A Mother’s Worst Fear is Realized 

The strangers were members of a gang, and their attention soon turned to Silvia. Pilar’s fears were confirmed one afternoon when, on their way home from church, they were ambushed. The men made their intentions clear, telling the women that they would have to stop going to church because “their leader had his eye on Silvia.”  She added, “They told us they would do what was impossible to get what they wanted from my daughter.” The moment they pushed Silvia to the ground Pilar became horrified at what was about to happen to her daughter and began to cry and yell for help. “My screams were so loud that some of the brothers from our church heard and came to help us get out of the situation.” 

Pilar had hoped that the intervention would be enough to deter the gang, but their harassment escalated and soon they began appearing at Pilar’s home. While leaving their country and loved ones was devastating, the weight of the gang’s threats was far heavier so Pilar decided to flee with Silvia to the United States. 

Upon reaching the U.S. border in 2018, Pilar and Silvia’s arduous journey took a devastating turn when they were told that the Trump administration’s Zero Tolerance Policy, which mandated the prosecution of all individuals crossing the border without documents, had just taken effect. Pilar, who had done everything in her power to protect her daughter until that moment, was horrified when as a result of the policy they were forcibly separated.

The following is a personal account from Pilar and Silvia about the event: 

Pilar’s Testimony: 

The purpose of writing this letter is to share the process my daughter and I went through.  

We entered the U.S. in 2018, through San Luis, Arizona. When we turned ourselves in to immigration, it was 2 a.m. I can remember the agents interviewing us and telling us they were very sorry because the Zero Tolerance Policy had already gone into effect, and there was nothing more they could do.  

When they told me they were going to take my daughter from me, it was the greatest pain I’ve ever felt—knowing they were going to separate me from my child. They didn’t tell me where they were taking her. They only said that someone would come for her in a few hours. From that moment, we held hands and began crying together, not knowing when we would see each other again. It was such immense pain to see them take my daughter away.  

The only thing my daughter carried with her was my personal identification (DPI) with my photo. That comforted her, but I was left behind. I spent eight days in “la hielera” (the icebox). After that, they transferred me to Eloy, Arizona. They took me in a van that had no air conditioning, and they left me inside for two hours. During that time, my blood pressure dropped. I had nothing to drink, and I could only tell the other women in the van that I felt like I was going to faint. But thanks to God, I was able to endure it and make it to Eloy detention center.  

When I arrived, they helped me walk because I was very dehydrated from being locked up for so long without water. I was so worried about my daughter. They gave me a room, number 118.  I am writing this letter now, but my tears are falling because it’s not easy to remember all that trauma.  

After that, some of the other women in detention spilled shampoo on the stairs. When I walked down the stairs, I slipped and hit my knee. Out of fear that they might detain me even longer, I didn’t say anything. But they saw me on the cameras and told me it was a serious injury. The next day, my knee was bleeding from the injury. The saddest part was that they didn’t give me any feminine hygiene products, and I suffered a lot because of that.  

After a while, they told me I would be transferred to another detention center in Texas. That was another difficult process, but by then, my daughter and I were reunited.  We spent six months together in detention. We went through very sad moments, but God gave us the strength to endure all that time we spent locked up.  

It’s not easy to forget everything we went through, but with God’s help, I am overcoming it.  I want to thank all of you for the support you have given us. Thank you very much, and may God bless you.  

Silvia’s Testimony: 

When we entered immigration, they separated us for two months. My mother was held in “la hielera” (the icebox) for two months, and I couldn’t speak to her. The pain was overwhelming, not knowing anything about her. I arrived at the shelter heartbroken because I didn’t know where my mother was. At the shelter, there was food, clothing and everything I needed, but I was missing my mother. I suffered from depression, anxiety, sadness and I developed an infection in my body. The shelter staff treated me with antibiotics.

Days went by, and the most awaited moment finally arrived—I got to see my mother. We spent one night in a cold room. The next day, we were escorted to Texas. We stayed together in a shelter for six months, where I went to school and my mother worked at the shelter, earning $3 a day. We suffered through the confinement, but being together, we supported each other.

Finally, the time came for us to leave. It was a trauma that, to this day, I am still in therapy to overcome. And from the bottom of my heart, I wish that no child ever has to suffer the separation from their mother or father.

A Hopeful Future

Five years later, Pilar has settled in North Carolina with her husband and their youngest child, while Silvia, now in her 20s, has built a life in South Carolina with her husband. Both women have found vital support in the resettlement process through CWS and remain steadfast in their faith, which continues to guide them daily. Despite the progress they’ve made, Pilar faces the uncertainty of her immigration status, a weight that lingers over her family’s future. Her greatest dream is to receive the documentation that will secure her family’s ability to stay in the place they feel safe and now call home.

Join CWS as we stand against harmful policies like the Zero Tolerance Policy. Click here to tell Congress & the White House that you OPPOSE Trump’s Indefinite Refugee Ban and Executive Actions Targeting Newcomers. Learn more about the work of CWS SouthEast here.

*Note: For the safety of these clients, pseudonyms have been used in this story and certain elements in their testimonies have been redacted.