Stricter policies push Ecuadorians in the U.S. to make difficult decisions amid mounting tension and economic strain.
Ecuadorian migrants living in the United States are facing the harsh consequences of tightening immigration policies in New York and New Jersey. As previously manageable regulations become more stringent, many are finding their futures in the U.S. uncertain, caught between legal roadblocks and escalating enforcement actions.
Tatiana, an Ecuadorian woman living in Newark, recalls a far different vision for her future when she first arrived in the U.S. three years ago. She worked as a house cleaner, sending money back to Ecuador while sharing an apartment with other women. Her life, though modest, was stable. But everything changed when her husband joined her on a tourist visa, hoping to start a new chapter together.
However, their expectations quickly crumbled. Her husband, like many migrants without proper documentation, struggled to find stable work. Tatiana shares, “We tried. But the little we managed to save wasn’t even enough to dream of a future here.” Then, a devastating blow arrived: a text message from the U.S. government, informing her husband that he had just 40 days to leave the country. There was no explanation, no interview—only an abrupt notice.
With her husband now back in Ecuador, Tatiana faces a heart-wrenching choice: return home to Ecuador or wait in the U.S. in hopes of reuniting in December. Each day brings more uncertainty, making her future seem ever more unpredictable.
Nationwide Protests Amplify Migrant Frustrations
Tatiana’s predicament is far from unique. On June 6th, protests erupted across Los Angeles after a series of immigration raids led to the detention of 44 people by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The arrests were met with immediate demonstrations as thousands of migrants took to the streets, chanting for their rights and resisting the harsh immigration policies. In the chaos, tear gas was deployed, and there were numerous arrests. This unrest quickly spread to New York and New Jersey, where long-standing immigration practices were suddenly being subjected to much stricter scrutiny.
Previously, many procedures for obtaining basic services such as opening a bank account, securing a rental property, or finding work only required a driver’s license or a passport. Now, these documents are not enough. Legal documentation—such as a valid visa, residence card, or proof of a pending asylum application—is increasingly demanded, making life even harder for many who had been living in the U.S. for years without legal status.
Growing Economic Pressures on Migrants
The tightening of immigration controls is not just affecting the migrants’ legal standing, but their livelihood as well. Carmen, another Ecuadorian migrant, applied for asylum in November 2024 but is still awaiting a decision. Without a work permit, she struggles to make ends meet. “I can’t keep waiting,” Carmen says. “But I can’t move forward either.”
The pressure is particularly evident in sectors like construction, where many undocumented workers once worked for $20 to $25 an hour. Today, only those with legal documentation are able to take these jobs, pushing wages up to $35 or $40 an hour. While the pay increase sounds promising, the reality is that work is being delayed, costs are rising, and businesses are struggling to keep up. A Newark contractor explains, “It’s not that there’s a labor shortage; it’s that no one wants to risk a fine.”
Immigration Court Overload Contributes to the Crisis
Meanwhile, the U.S. immigration system is already buckling under the weight of more than 2 million asylum cases. The wait time for a decision now averages over 20 months, exacerbating the uncertainty felt by migrants like Carmen and Tatiana. Even more troubling, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed further delaying access to work permits for asylum seekers. Currently, applicants can request work authorization 150 days after submitting their asylum application, with permits generally granted after 180 days. However, the new proposal would extend the wait time to a year or more and freeze work permits until the applicant’s case is resolved.
Nelson Ochoa, an immigration lawyer with over a decade of experience, offers a sobering assessment of the situation: “There are no new laws. What we have is the relentless enforcement of what already exists. It has become a strategy of attrition: if you can’t stay legally, they make it impossible for you to live while you try.”
The Path Forward Remains Unclear
Back in Newark, Tatiana struggles with the absence of her husband and the uncertainty that looms over her future. She spends long hours contemplating the decision that awaits her. Should she return to Ecuador, or should she wait for her husband to return and join her in December? With each passing day, the dream of a better life in the U.S. feels more distant, clouded by a mounting sense of uncertainty.
For many Ecuadorian migrants, the United States once held the promise of opportunity and prosperity. Now, however, it seems to be a place where dreams are slowly unraveling, and the paths to a brighter future are increasingly hard to find. With no clear answers or direction, the decision to stay or leave becomes an impossible choice for many.
While perhaps most gringos move to EC and contribute to the economy here in many ways, many Euadorians and countless others, move to NY and other like cities, get jobs, and send the money back to EC without paying taxes, etc. to the US.
I have given a great deal in many ways here for the underprivileged and others of a lifetime of hard work for which a former Mayor thanked me. “You couldn’t pay me to leave Cuenca!” I say when asked when I am returning to the US.
The opposite occurs in immigrants milking the US economy and sending it home from a Federal economy in the dire straits and a severe deficit that can never be balanced. It appears that drain is at least now being addressed, for which there are the countless immigrant protestors in California now after many years of profitable, thankless returns.