What it costs to leave the U.S.

What it costs to leave the U.S.

From This Is Uncomfortable by Marketplace

April 23, 2026 · 34 min

About this episode

The episode explores the financial and emotional costs faced by undocumented individuals choosing to leave the U.S. amid increasing immigration crackdowns.

As the U.S. immigration crackdown intensifies, some undocumented people are choosing to leave the country. But what’s the financial and emotional cost of leaving? Reema speaks with immigration lawyer Michael Foote , who is helping his clients navigate this process, as well as two undocumented immigrants at different stages in their departure: Javi (not his real name) is an undocumented college student saving up to move abroad, and Monsy Hernandez left the U.S. for Germany almost ten years ago and now supports others weighing the same decision. If you’re thinking about leaving the U.S., organizations like Onward provide toolkits with resources and information. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU. Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok ! Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod

People in this episode

Host: Reema

Guests: Michael Foote, Monsy Hernandez

Topics covered

  • immigration
  • financial cost
  • emotional cost
  • undocumented immigrants
  • leaving the U.S.
  • support organizations

Keywords

  • immigration
  • undocumented
  • financial cost
  • emotional cost
  • leaving the U.S.
  • support organizations
  • Onward

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Onward, Marketplace

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