USA – Gabriela entered the United States more than two decades ago, gasping for breath under a pile of corn stalks in the boot of a smuggler’s car. Now a housekeeper in Maryland, the Bolivian national is one of at least 13 million undocumented migrants living in the US – an umbrella term that includes those who entered the US illegally, overstayed their visas or have protected status to avoid deportation.

Across the US, migrants like Gabriela are grappling with what the incoming Trump administration’s vow to conduct mass deportations could mean for their future. In over a dozen interviews, undocumented immigrants said it was a topic of heated discussion in their communities, WhatsApp groups and social media. Some, like Gabriela, believe it won’t impact them at all. “I’m not scared at all, actually,” she said. “That’s for criminals to worry about. I pay taxes, and I work.” “In any case, I’m undocumented,” she added. “[So] how would they even know about me?” In an election campaign where immigration loomed large as a major concern of US voters, Trump frequently pledged to deport migrants en masse from US soil from his first day in office if he were to return to the presidency. But nearly two weeks after his sweeping election win, it remains unclear what exactly these immigration enforcement operations will look like. The president-elect has insisted cost won’t be an issue, but experts have cautioned that his promises may run into enormous financial and logistics challenges. (BBC)

Photo: Donald Trump’s team say that deportations will initially focus on public safety and national security threats. (Getty Images)