The Empty Chair This Christmas

Why my friend fled the United States

Guest article by Dina Doll

The holidays are supposed to be a time of family, warmth, and togetherness. But for too many people in America, this season is marked by absence, fear, and heartbreak. Homes that should be filled with laughter are hollowed out by loss. Parents, children, and siblings are separated, some taken by ICE raids, others forced to leave the country themselves to protect their families.

Often, they can’t tell their stories for fear that speaking out will bring unwanted ICE attention to friends and family. That’s why I am speaking about my friend. Someone I have known for years decided to “self-deport” to Mexico. This man was one of the hardest-working people I knew. He was trustworthy and kind. He cared about his children and wife more than anything, and yet he left it all behind.

Let’s be very clear: he did not “self-deport”; he fled. He fled because he was in fear of what the government was going to do to him; he is a refugee. An American refugee. For the second time in his life, he left everything and everyone he loved because he felt unsafe where he lived. No one abandons a successful working life, a happy family, and a community they love unless they feel they have no choice.

The recent 60 Minutes segment on CECOT reveals why this fear is so real. Torture and intimidation are being used deliberately to deter migrants, but the terror does not stop there. Even law-abiding, long-term residents like my friend are being sent the same message: no matter how hard you work or how carefully you follow the rules, you are never truly safe. This kind of fear can push people to “self-deport,” abandoning their homes and loved ones just to survive.

The 60 Minutes exposé is essential in informing the public about what was done to so many migrants by sending them to CECOT. It has the potential to drive real change. That power to make an impact is precisely why Bari Weiss canceled it, and why independent media outlets like MeidasTouch are so crucial in this moment.

Trump and Kristi Noem’s immigration actions are a creation of terror. Families are torn apart, parents taken from children, siblings separated, and communities are left to grieve quietly. So many people suffer in silence, afraid that speaking out could bring ICE to friends or family members who may also be at risk.

My friend knew that even with legal help, even with due process, which is far from guaranteed, he could still end up in detention camps such as Trump’s version of Alcatraz, suffering while waiting for his day in court. If the administration truly wanted to enforce immigration law, it would invest in judges and expedite hearings. Instead, it has invested in a new crop of profitable prisons for people who have committed no crime other than believing in the promise of America.

My friend represents the best of America, but America failed him. I am keeping his name anonymous, but I am telling his story to bring his suffering out of the shadows. As we gather with loved ones this holiday season, may we remember the families who grieve quietly, who sit at half-empty tables, who live in fear, and who have been forced to bury pieces of themselves along with the loved ones taken from them. Their pain is real, and deserves to be seen.

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Dina Doll is an experienced attorney and legal analyst. She hosts the MissTrial podcast on MeidasTouch and co-hosts Unprecedented on Legal AF. Dina also serves as the legal expert for Access Hollywood’s Trial Files and provides regular legal commentary for CNN, NewsNation, and other national media outlets. In addition to her media work, she is a delegate to the California Democratic Party, a community activist, and a City Library Commissioner.