Transcription
Armed, masked agents sweeping through. [Música] In the United States, raids against immigrants are carried out across the country. Millions of people are threatened with deportation. The United States of America was founded on the basis of migration and grew thanks to immigration. Many wonder, what will be the future of the United States as a country of immigrants under Trump? [Música] In a few days, social divisions become as evident as on July 4th, Independence Day. Some immigrants stay home out of fear, others as a protest. [Música] The national holiday has become a symbol of a divided nation in which people fight for their future. What is happening in the United States? Ben, a small town in Arizona. Many traditional Republicans are now followers of Donald Trump's MAGA movement. If someone attacks me like this, I have to adopt this stance before making any other move. Mike teaches self-defense. He became known nationally when the president shared a post of his on social media. For him, Trump represents strength, order, and a vision to which the country should return. [Música] My goal is not just to teach my students how to defend themselves from blows, but also how to navigate the real world. How do you build a foundation and a set of core values to be able to move forward with your life from there? These are things that many don't know, but that they must know if they want to lead an active life later on and hopefully go vote. Those who are born and raised here have many years to learn what it means to be American. By the age of 18, they have already gone through that process and know what the fundamental values are that apply in this country. But what happens when someone arrives and bypasses this process, bringing their own values with them? In theory, the country should be a melting pot of cultures, but in practice, it is not. Many immigrants form small, isolated communities and do not learn our language. And those who don't learn all this don't integrate. That's why we see all this chaos here. They are trying to take power. [Música] Just 100 km from the Mexican border lies the city of Tucson. Here in the suburbs live thousands of families from Latin America. Many are new to the country and fear they will soon have to leave the United States. Wendy and her family fled to the United States two years ago. Violence and threats forced them to leave their home in El Salvador. Right now, we are all at risk of being deported, simply for having entered through the application. Initially, they were granted asylum, but the decision was withdrawn after Trump took office. Now their situation is uncertain. They canceled our work permits, they are saying that, you know, all possibilities are being cut off. [Música] It's already getting hot. Come on. And you? Have you dried yourself with your clothes yet? Have you changed? Well, inside, yes, and Mom says, "Did they give you permission to stay here?" And I say, "Yes, my love." She says, "Oh, how cool, Mommy, how cool that we'll be able to go wherever we want," she says, "and we'll travel as a family," she says. Then, when he realized that we were sad, he said, "What happened?" And I say, "Everything is fine, but I think the process will be longer." Oh no, Mommy. He says, "And why?" "And didn't they?" They already said yes. [Música] Wendy calls her mother every day, who also lives in the United States. There I told her. There they are, they just got out of the pool. In the pool, in the pool. Yes, pool. [Música] Come on. Hello, my love. Over there. How's the pool? Very cold. But yes, you know, we make them see that everything is fine. They know that we will always be there for them. Because no matter what happens, my children will always be where I am. Yes. Nogales is located directly on the border with Mexico. In 2023, a record number of illegal border crossings were still registered, but now hardly any new migrants are arriving. [Música] José Castro is the first in his family to be born in the United States. What really turned me away from the Democrats was the fact that I didn't feel represented. I had the feeling that they didn't see me as an individual, but only as a member of an ethnic group. For the Democrats, we are just Latinos. Looks like the unprecedented mass deportation campaign that President Trump had promised is underway. Here the USR pictures of their efforts to find. I find it interesting that the Democrats don't realize that the migrants who have come here legally don't support them. They prefer to support Donald Trump because they don't like hearing what the Democrats say. Well, you came here legally, others are here illegally, but basically everyone is an immigrant. No, that's not how it works. It takes years to truly become an American. Behave well, behave well. Go, she's pretty, little pear. Yes, my father's death affected me greatly. Those were difficult times. There are many things I would have liked to tell him. Unfortunately, I never will. Then I was an atheist, I hated the church. But then, after my father's death, I found a lot of love in other Catholics, in the church, and in Jesus. [Música] Amen. I still clearly remember that moment. I felt alone. Then I knelt down, and in my despair, I heard a voice. It told me that I was not alone and that I was loved. Then I didn't intend to become a Republican. I simply thought, "From now on, I will follow my faith." [Música] [Música] Imagine how unfair the situations that happen in this country are, because we are doing things right, as they say things should be here, you are paying a lawyer. Imagine, in my country, I never imagined having such a debt, and now without being able to have the possibility of a work permit to be able to get out of so many things that have to be paid. Wendy does embroidery at home and sells it online. [Música] The end of this is like selling to be able to continue paying for the things I have to pay for. [Música] Well, this was like my situation, I had to go back to El Salvador, it was the worst thing I could have done. Uh, the wall was something that prevented many families from passing. We passed every day, every day, next to the wall, and the child would always say to me, "Mom, I want to go there, I want to go to McDonald's." And I tell you, it was every day. I would tell him, "Someday, son, someday, someday we will go." And the day we entered, Dora welcomed us, and that afternoon we went to McDonald's, and it was the first restaurant we went to when we arrived. [Música] José and his mother are US citizens and can travel to Mexico and back at any time. [Música] [Música] I add cilantro because it doesn't have much flavor. Ah, yes. My parents are from Mexico and El Salvador, but I was born in the United States and I am American. However, I also love this culture. I like to come to Mexico to enjoy Mexican food and speak Spanish. Is this salad or do you put it in tacos? Salad. You just eat it like that, just falfa or guacamole. Guacamole. I am American. I was born and raised there. I believe that the United States should be for Americans. If you want to immigrate to the United States, do it legally. José's father came to the United States in 1980. It was easier to get a passport then. [Música] We started working with them. We worked, I don't know, like that week it was like three days, I think. Ah, no, when they gave us the check, ah, when they changed the ah, when they paid us, we went to deposit the check at the bank, and we thought that the check had cleared. Ah, about a month later, the bank sent us a letter saying that the check had bounced because there were no funds. And we spoke with Jonathan. Isabel comes from a family that emigrated from Latin America many generations ago. She was previously a defense attorney and has been fighting for immigrants' rights for decades. How can these people sleep peacefully at night? They hire people and then don't pay them. This happens constantly. They hire people to lay tiles or do other construction and cleaning work. All kinds of jobs. People do the work, but they don't get paid, as is the case with this woman. They give them fake checks that later bounce. The state of Arizona, in the southwestern United States, reflects the change in the country like no other place. This is especially noticeable on July 4th, the day the nation reaffirms its common identity. [Applause] That car will pull the trailer. That's Patty's truck. We could put it on the side. Yes, that's true. [Applause] I think the flag unites us all, that's why we are so proud to fly it. Well, maybe it doesn't unite us all. There are always people who don't support the flag, they even burn it. Like a few weeks ago in Los Angeles, there were people who burned the American flag. If there are people who hate the United States. I love our country. I am willing to defend my country and die for it. That's why I will enlist in the National Guard. I want to serve my country. Unfortunately, not many people support this. They don't value our freedom and our Constitution. They are not united as Americans, but only move in their own sectarian circles. For MAGA followers like José, Independence Day is an occasion to show their loyalty to the nation and differentiate themselves from those who, in their opinion, do not belong to it. The high number of illegal immigrants arriving here does not unite our people, they cause division and economic hardship, and they are responsible for street violence. Our country is more divided today than ever before. We are on the verge of civil war because there is a whole group of people who refuse to abide by our laws. I have come here because I know how serious the situation is. I believe we should talk about Trump's big bill. It's about massive militarization both at home and abroad. Right now, the situation is getting really serious. I haven't had the chance to go to Marana prison yet. Has anyone been there? They want to detain immigrants before their deportation in the future. In any case, we should take more walks around the neighborhood. We have to go out on the street and be aware of immigration police. Tomorrow I will take a walk down 22nd Street between Aedon and Congress. Now I have a megaphone. It's great to go under the bridge and vent some anger. And then we all go out in twos or fours and get to work. That's really important. We used to organize events to inform people. We were very successful with that, but now people don't want to leave their homes, they are afraid. It's different. I think we really need to launch a big campaign against these kidnappings, together with, you know, engaging with the barrio, the barks, and [Música] Michael has designed the sound for the July 4th celebration. With it, he wants to remind people how important this day is for the nation, its history, and its values. It should not just be a party for drinking beer and watching fireworks. My idea is to re-create an emotional connection. I hope that when people see the fireworks, they will also subliminally hear the lyrics of the songs and quotes from our history, and thus understand again what Independence Day really means to us. [Música] You surely know the song "God Bless the USA," and this, of course, was Donald Trump. I used his phrase "We will not forget our God," and then it continues directly with the song. It was another opportunity to combine the modern with the classic. It should sound different from what you normally hear on the radio. I added something patriotic and special. [Música] The proximity to the Mexican border makes Tucson an important stage for US border policy. There is a sanctuary dedicated to the thousands of migrants who have lost their lives on their way to the United States. Unfortunately, they died. We have turned this place into a sanctuary for migrants. We started when 13 Salvadorans lost their lives in a terrible way. Then we returned in June 2000, when people started losing their lives during normal migration. Yes. So we said, "No, we have to draw attention to how many migrants die." So we came here every Thursday. We did it for 17 years. Not all the earth, not all the earth will be a bit of my land. Wherever you find me, wherever you find me, I will always be a traveler. My daily work, my stars, my window turned to ashes. They turned to ashes overnight. [Música] [Música] In the border city of Nogales, July 4th demonstrates unity and cohesion, but behind the joy there is tension. Since Donald Trump tightened measures against immigration, the issue has become even more emotionally charged. Before, July 4th was a big party for everyone. We would get together with friends, have a few drinks, and eat hamburgers, typical American things. [Música] But now that day divides the nation. For the past two years, Democrats have practically boycotted Independence Day. They don't want to participate because they consider the United States to be bad. But when I go with my Republican friends to July 4th, we celebrate the United States. It's not just a party, it's a day when we get together and celebrate our country. Thank you for coming. We need to act urgently. We need to show these people that we are not afraid of them. I don't know if you've heard. Yesterday there was a death in a raid against immigrants. It is hypocritical and sometimes painful to see how the flag and July 4th are celebrated, especially when you see that people don't even know the history. We celebrate this country that they say is a nation of immigrants, but at the same time we persecute immigrants, we hunt them. It is a great hypocrisy to celebrate July 4th. Since the beginning of 2025, the situation for many immigrants has worsened considerably. The chances of staying in the United States have decreased, and with them, social and economic security as well. they do it just because, you know, one gets desperate in this country and because one makes the decision to leave and everything. Imagine in our case, we say, "No, well, we're leaving, you know, why are we leaving? To be in danger." [Música] That, and I tell you, I don't want to start over again because my children have had to go through that situation many times, and it's very difficult to be in a situation where you say, "No, well, I'll stay here, I'll start over, you start over from scratch and end up with nothing and have to move or leave." [Música] [Applause] The sun is finally setting, phenomenal. It's going to be an exciting night. There will be noise and everything will be lit up. [Música] The identity and soul of the United States go back to our founding fathers. It's about our Constitution and the rule of law. It cannot be that people cross the border without knowing what it means to be American, but can still vote on how our country should be. That's why we need rigorous processes that guarantee the strength of our values. Otherwise, we will end up being a divided nation. [Música] It's a powerful message. We must be grateful to all those who in the last 250 years have literally risked their lives to guarantee our freedom. The land of the free and the home of the [Música] [Applause] 3, 2, 1, go. We will not surrender, not now or ever. Show unity when in reality the nation is on the verge of falling apart. [Música] July 4th is no longer about independence. Now it's just about the principle of my way or the highway. Let's be honest, of course, here in the Southwest people also celebrate with fireworks, but the reference to separation from Europe has lost importance for us. What does it mean today? Freedom? For whom? Intent? For whom? In the end, it's always about the same question. Who can be part of it? Bel. In 2026, the United States will celebrate 250 years of independence, a tradition deeply linked to the promise of immigration. Has it now come to an end? [Música]