NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – At 52, Martha Lugo’s back has begun to hurt from her job cleaning houses. Still, she continues to work hard to provide for her two daughters, one a senior in high school, the other a senior in college. Lugo also volunteers as an interpreter for Catholic Charities and tutor for GED classes.
In many respects, the Nashville resident is an ideal citizen – but she’s not a U.S. citizen. That means Lugo also lives with a constant fear that the tiniest infraction, like going slightly over the speed limit, could upend her entire world.
Like an estimated 11 million others, she is in the country illegally.
“I’ve been here nearly 25 years and haven’t been able to find a way to get legal status or even permission to work,” Lugo said. (She speaks English well, but the interview was conducted in Spanish.)
That could change this spring, when President Obama’s new plan for administrative relief takes effect.