The Sudden Departure

Lilly Sullivan - This American Life

This radio segment from This American Life describes an incident in a small town in Tennessee, USA in which nearly 100 people were deported in one day during a workplace raid, leaving many children behind without their parents. The segment includes interviews with the children and families left behind and describes the response of the community, including holding vigils for the families, raising money "to bond people out of detention, and for necessities," collecting food and donations, and setting up sanctuaries in churches for those afraid of deportation.