After Texas Governor Greg Abbott put them on a chartered flight to Chicago, Angi and her family found themselves not in a shelter but stuck in limbo at one of the world’s busiest airports, sleeping on the floor as holiday travelers glided by. Elly Fishman offers a glimpse into the lives of just a few of the vulnerable people—in this case, from Venezuela—who are hoping to put down roots in the United States:
On this December morning, Angi’s children keep themselves entertained on the airport floor. Yenni, her belly flat against the ground and her legs propped up behind her, takes a marker to a stack of construction paper. She sketches a collection of faces: Happy. Laughing. Sad. As she draws, a pair of police officers idly pace the room. They nod at familiar faces and chuckle at their quiet, private jokes. Angi watches Yenni draw. She admires her daughter’s artwork.
“The other day she said to me, ‘Mom, all the effort we put into coming here, and for what? We’re stuck here,’” Angi says. “I told her we were going to take it day by day. It’s a slow process.” The truth is Angi gave up long-term planning many years ago. The notion of a permanent home has been fractured and scattered in the years since she left Venezuela. For Angi, the airport is just another point in a long list of impermanent places.
Sliding back into her chair, Angi watches as a group of holiday travelers—headphones wrapped around their necks, skis tucked snugly inside tailored bags—weave their way through the room. Even their baby’s car seat comes with its own bag. The group soon settles in an otherwise empty row of chairs. The baby gurgles from a stroller while the older children remain fixated on their tablets. The man, likely the children’s father, surveys the room. His face remains stony as his eyes dart from one corner to the other. He holds a water bottle to his mouth and silently directs his family toward the automatic doors. The group rise to their feet and obediently make their way toward the exit.
Angi watches the family as they cut through the crowd. “Sometimes I look at them and think about how they are able to travel and carry bags,” Angi says. “I hope someday that will be me.”
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