“I don't want to find out if they're going to put me in a detention center”
Published on Dec 8, 2025, 5:00:00 AM
Total time: 00:26:45
Published on Dec 8, 2025, 5:00:00 AM
Total time: 00:26:45
This is the English version of this podcast episode. Haga clic aquí para escuchar en español.
Luis Lamas left Oregon out of fear.
“I don't want to find out if they're going to put me in a detention center or if I'm going to live so many more years [here] and be told, you know what, no, you have to go back to your country,” he said in Spanish.
Lamas is among a growing number of people choosing to leave the U.S. out of fear of arrest or detention, as the Trump administration has promised to arrest or deport anyone without lawful status. Immigrants with lawful status have also been detained.
In this week’s episode of The Evergreen, OPB reporter Alejandro Figueroa chronicles the journey of Luis Lamas, a Mexican immigrant who once called Woodburn home.
For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage.
Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too.
You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.
Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps:
And many more! Check out our full show list here.
OPB’s weekly podcast creates an audio portrait of the Pacific Northwest. We tell the stories of the people, places, communities and cultures that make up this region. It’s a podcast about the place YOU live, the places you love, and the geography you feel connected to.