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An undocumented migrant who self-deported to Mexico after living in Los Angeles his entire life has revealed that he doesn't regret leaving because he has reconnected to his roots. Hector Alessandro Negrete, 43, moved to the US with his family when he was just three years old and didn't realize he was undocumented until he began applying for college. After years of setbacks and red tape to obtain his citizenship, Negrete decided to move back to Mexico so he wouldn't have to live in fear of deportation. Negrete, however, doesn't see his move as 'self-deportation,' but 'self-repatriation' by returning to his own country. 'I refuse to use this administration’s language,' he told the Los Angeles Times. The Trump administration has called on illegal immigrants to self-deport or risk being tracked down and forcibly removed amid a widespread effort to crack down on immigration. Negrete announced his decision to leave the US in his Substack, penning a 'Love Letter to LA,' the city he's called home for his entire life. 'Today, I share with you a deeply personal decision, one that stems not from defeat, but from healing, hope, and reclamation,' he wrote. 'After over 40 years of living in Los Angeles, a city that shaped me, strengthened me, and loved me back, I’ve decided to repatriate politically back to Mexico. 'But let me be absolutely clear: this is not goodbye to LA, but rather a rebirth for me, and hopefully for some of you too.' Negrete decided to leave the country a month into Donald Trump's administration, after years of advocating for immigration reform, even helping a young woman get released from immigration detention when Kamala Harris was the Attorney General. Negrete was active in community politics and served as the first openly undocumented and LGBTQ+ person on the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council. He told the publication that he was hired in June at a nonprofit that allowed him to live wherever he wanted. He started the role over the summer while he moved, and will continue working there from Guadalajara. Negrete's friends made a trip out of the bittersweet situation, driving to the border and flying out of Tijuana. On his move-out day, Negrete started a new Instagram account to document his journey, sharing a photo of himself at the border. 'I’m thrilled to share that I’m embarking on a new journey back to Mexico after self-repatriating!' he captioned the photo. 'This adventure fills me with joy and anticipation, and I can’t wait to explore my roots, reconnect with my culture, and share the experiences along the way.' In a separate post, Negrete shared a video compilation of his send-off from Los Angeles, calling the decision to leave a difficult one but 'a celebration of choice.' 'I’m a lucky to say my first couple days in the motherland have been a whirlwind of emotions but also a beautiful homecoming,' he added. Negrete revealed he never became a citizen because his father was unsupportive of his sexuality and refused to help him with his immigration papers when he was a teenager. By the time he had mended the relationship with his parents, he was already 21 and was no longer eligible for the pathway. Negrete attempted again after the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was established, but wasn't eligible because of a driving while under the influence charge. He got the record expunged, but it still kept him from qualifying for immigration relief. Undocumented migrants have been forced to reconcile with moving back to their home countries amid Trump's hardline immigration policies. A pastor in Texas, Albert Oliveira, told his congregation earlier this month that his family would be self-deporting back to Brazil. Oliveira was legally in the country on a temporary religious visa, but due to backlogs in employment-based visa processing, he realized he wouldn't be able to renew his status before it expires on November 15. Negrete and Oliveira are two of 1.6 million undocumented migrants in the US who have self-deported since Trump assumed office, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
