"When the pandemic happened, it greatly affected us, but the neighborhood recovered, and little by little life returned here. Today, I don't know if we'll recover because the political situation is so uncertain. This reflects the unprecedented nature of the current crisis facing Gulfton's residents and businesses."
"More than half of the neighborhood's residents were born outside the United States, according to Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research, making Gulfton the largest immigrant community in Houston. As the Trump administration continues its mass deportation campaign across Texas and the U.S., the fear of immigration enforcement has indelibly changed day-to-day life."
Gulfton, known as Houston's Ellis Island, is experiencing dramatic changes under Trump's second administration. With over half its residents born outside the United States, the neighborhood faces an existential crisis as immigration enforcement fears reshape daily life. Immigration attorney Elmer Romero observes empty office lobbies, closed restaurants, and fewer families in parks. Businesses are struggling and the cultural fabric is fraying. Unlike the pandemic's temporary disruption, residents question whether recovery is possible given the political uncertainty. Gulfton was originally developed in the mid-20th century as affordable housing for oil and gas workers, later becoming Houston's primary immigrant community.
Read at Houston Chronicle
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]