Waiting for the Immigration Raids, Again

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily – "Waiting for Immigration Raids, Again"

Episode Details:

• Title: Waiting for Immigration Raids, Again
• Release Date: January 17, 2025
• Hosts: Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise
• Published By: The New York Times

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Waiting for Immigration Raids, Again," hosts Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise delve into the harrowing experiences of Herminia, an undocumented immigrant from Nicaragua. Through a deeply personal narrative, the podcast explores the emotional and psychological toll of immigration policies in the United States, especially under shifting administrations. The conversation sheds light on the fears and uncertainties faced by undocumented families amidst political turbulence.

Background: Herminia’s Journey

Herminia shares her immigration story, highlighting her arrival in the United States from Nicaragua at the age of 21 in 2000. Driven by the dire political situation in her home country and the aspiration to provide a better future for her daughter, Herminia sought refuge in the U.S. Unlike many migrants granted protective status, she arrived a year too late to qualify and has since lived with the constant threat of deportation.

Notable Quote:

"Ask someone that is undocumented in this country for more than two decades, you know, trying to do the right thing, paying taxes, working, raising my kids, and then someone come and, you know, threatening people like me."
— Herminia [03:32]

Living Under Threat: The Trump Era

In the summer of 2019, under President Trump’s administration, Herminia faced acute fear of deportation raids. The nationwide crackdown on undocumented immigrants intensified her anxiety, leading her to adopt stringent safety measures at home. She placed a large sign on her door advising visitors not to answer, reflecting the pervasive fear of being targeted.

Notable Quote:

"The window is down. You know, it's closed. The TV is going to be really low. The light in the living room is going to be off."
— Herminia [03:55]

Despite the fear, Herminia was never arrested. Her two daughters, however, became U.S. citizens, while she and her husband remained undocumented, continuously striving to legalize their status without success.

Transition to the Biden Administration: A Flicker of Hope

With President Biden’s election, Herminia experienced a momentary sense of relief. Believing in Biden's promise of a more humane approach to immigration, she removed the protective sign from her door and felt a newfound sense of security.

Notable Quote:

"I felt protected. I knew that even if I have immigration in front of me, nothing was going to happen to me."
— Herminia [06:42]

Herminia resumed normal activities, including traveling within the country, believing that the administration shift had altered her precarious standing.

Emerging Backlash and Shifting Public Opinion

However, Herminia soon sensed a change in American public sentiment towards immigration. As border crossings surged under Biden’s policies, particularly in New York, frustration among both the public and undocumented immigrants began to surface. This backlash, Herminia feared, was a precursor to harsher immigration enforcement.

Notable Quote:

"Everything was out of control. We can't be blind because it's the truth."
— Herminia [12:14]

She observed that even long-term undocumented residents were growing resentful of newer immigrants, feeling that they were being unfairly treated despite their years of contribution and integration.

Anticipating a Second Trump Presidency

Predicting the political tide, Herminia expressed her conviction that Donald Trump would win the upcoming election, capitalizing on the mounting frustration over immigration. His platform of mass deportations resonated with the disillusioned public, particularly in communities with significant immigrant populations like Miami Dade.

Notable Quote:

"I knew Trump was gonna win. Because in this community, is a lot of Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and Cubans. So as I always say, they missing dictatorship. They missing to live in a dictatorship."
— Herminia [13:34]

Upon Trump’s decisive victory, Herminia felt a renewed terror of deportation, compounded by witnessing close friends support policies that endangered her and her family.

Impact on Community and Personal Relationships

Herminia detailed the strain within her community and personal relationships as Trump’s rhetoric intensified. Friends and even close companions began distancing themselves, prioritizing self-preservation over solidarity.

Notable Quote:

"I have a friend. I have a very close friend. And after the election, I found out that he voted for Trump... How come you're gonna do that to me?"
— Herminia [15:35]

This betrayal underscored the isolation she felt, as those around her supported policies that threatened her very existence in the U.S.

Preparing for Uncertain Futures

Facing the imminent threat of renewed deportation raids, Herminia grapples with difficult decisions about her family’s future. While her children have assimilated and aspired to stay in the U.S., Herminia contemplates the possibility of leaving to protect them from potential fallout.

Notable Quote:

"I'm gonna stay here until the day they catch me. I'm gonna stay here until something happened. But hopefully nothing happened."
— Herminia [20:44]

She wrestles with balancing her desire to remain in a country she loves against the looming fear of losing her family to forced deportations.

Psychological Toll and Coping Mechanisms

The constant anxiety has manifested in recurring nightmares and emotional distress for Herminia. Her coping strategies include isolating herself from public spaces and altering daily routines to minimize risk, such as ceasing to attend church and limiting outings.

Notable Quote:

"I have nightmares that they catch my husband, and I see my kids crying... I pray. Sometimes I work and I'm overthinking and I start crying."
— Herminia [21:52]

Future Prospects and Resilience

Despite the bleak outlook, Herminia remains steadfast in her love for the United States and her gratitude for the opportunities it has provided her family. She contemplates leaving on her own terms to preserve her dignity, yet fears that her children may not wish to abandon their established lives.

Notable Quote:

"I will not have negative feelings of Americans... I love this country. I love USA. I am very grateful with this country."
— Herminia [28:13]

Her resilience shines through as she prioritizes her family's well-being, even as she faces the possibility of an uncertain future.

Conclusion

"Waiting for Immigration Raids, Again" poignantly captures the relentless anxiety and resilience of undocumented immigrants like Herminia. Through her story, the podcast underscores the profound human impact of immigration policies and the shifting political landscapes that dictate the lives of millions. Herminia's narrative serves as a testament to the enduring hope and strength of those navigating the precarious balance between fear and aspiration in their pursuit of a better life.

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Credits:

• Producer: Jessica Chung
• Editor: Devin Taylor
• Research Assistant: Susan Lee
• Music: Alicia Ba? Itube, Rowie Nymisto, Pat McCusker
• Engineering: Alyssa Moxley
• Theme Music: Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsberg of Wonderly

Additional Notes:

• The episode avoids promotional content, focusing solely on Herminia’s personal experiences and perspectives.
• Sponsored advertisements and external content segments have been excluded from this summary to maintain focus on the central narrative.

Transcript

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[Herminia]

Hi.

[Michael Balbaro]

Is this Herminia?

[Herminia]

Yes.

[Michael Balbaro]

It's been a few years.

[Herminia]

It's been a few years, but it sounds like it was yesterday. I remember your voice now.

[Michael Balbaro]

Well, I remember your voice as well, and it's really nice to hear it again.

[Herminia]

Yeah, same too.

[Michael Balbaro]

Are you at home?

[Herminia]

Yes, I am. I just got home from work, which.

[Michael Balbaro]

Means we're creating more work for you with this conversation. So thank you for making time for us. I really, really appreciate it.

[Herminia]

Nice. Nothing.

[Michael Balbaro]

So how are you doing? How is your family?

[Herminia]

How are you, Michael? This is the question that anyone wants to hear. How am I? Scared, worried. But praying God that nothing happened to us. But it's a hard question to start.

[Michael Balbaro]

It sounds like it's a hard question to answer for you.

[Herminia]

I mean, ask someone that is undocumented in this country for more than two decades, you know, trying to do the right thing, paying taxes, working, raising my kids, and then someone come and, you know, threatening people like me. Families that can be separated. I having nightmares. I'm not sleeping well. I'm not okay. I mean, I'm not okay because I know next week is going to be hard for a lot of people.

[Michael Balbaro]

From the New York Times, I'm Michael Balbaro. This is the Daily. Five years ago, we interviewed a woman who asked that we call her Herminia.

[Herminia]

I'm from Nicaragua. I came to this country when I was 21 years old, and I came because I have a daughter.

[Michael Balbaro]

In 2000, she had traveled to the United States from Nicaragua, where she said that the political situation had made it impossible for her to find work and to support her family. Unlike many migrants from Nicaragua, who were eventually granted protective status in the US Herminia had arrived one year too late to qualify.

[Herminia]

At the end of the year in 2006, I received a letter from immigration with the asylum case that it was denied. I appealed, but the judge denied again.

[Michael Balbaro]

And by the time we reached her, she was the subject of a deportation order.

[Herminia]

We decided to stay home, but with rules, nobody's going to open the door. I have a note, a big note in front of my Doors, you know, that say, do not open the door. Don't answer.

[Michael Balbaro]

It was the summer of 2019, just as President Trump, then in his first term, ordered nationwide raids to round up and deport undocumented immigrants. Herminia feared she was on the list.

[Herminia]

The window is down. You know, it's closed. The TV is going to be really low. The light in the living room is going to be off.

[Michael Balbaro]

In the end, she was never arrested. And today, while her two daughters are US Citizens, Herminia and her husband remain in the US Illegally, despite what she says are repeated efforts to become a legal resident.

[Herminia]

There was no way to. To fix my situation. A lot of people say, but why you didn't fix your immigration situation. It's not easy. You think, I want to be like this?

[Michael Balbaro]

So a few days ago, I called Herminia back to understand what's happened to her since Trump left office and how she's now preparing for a second Trump term in which he's pledged to put the deportation of people like her at the center of his presidency. It's Friday, January 17th.

I want to just go back and understand. When we first spoke to you in 2019, you were in this very acute fear of a deportation raid coming. It felt like there was a weekend we spoke to you where it felt like it could happen at any moment. And then Trump loses, Biden wins. And he has, at that point, been campaigning on a message of a very different approach to immigration and especially undocumented immigrants. He says he's gonna be much more humane. He says he's gonna roll back a lot of Trump's policies. And so I just wanna understand what that felt like for you once Biden took the White House. Did it make you reevaluate your life and what could you do? Or did you do that you weren't willing to do when Trump was president?

[Herminia]

When finally we had the results of the presidency, remember we had to wait for a few days?

[Michael Balbaro]

Yeah, I do.

[Herminia]

I used to pray every day for Biden to win. When finally that notice came up through cnn, I was watching tv. I started crying, giving God thanks for this. I opened my windows, I removed the sign. Now I have to put the sign back on my side.

[Michael Balbaro]

The sign that said to your family, don't open the door.

[Herminia]

Don't open the door.

[Michael Balbaro]

You took the sign down?

[Herminia]

Yes, of course. I actually, for four years, my window was closed all the time.

[Michael Balbaro]

Your shades went up when Biden won?

[Herminia]

Yes. I said, okay, it's time for the light. Come back to this house. And I Removed the sign and I went. I mean, it was. Everything was different. I felt protected. I knew that even if I have immigration in front of me, nothing was going to happen to me.

[Michael Balbaro]

When you say you felt protected, I mean, what did you allow yourself to do or to feel, but mostly to do that you didn't When Trump was president, I mean, going out into the world, having certain conversations. What are some examples? Were you willing to try things like driving again and traveling again with Biden?

[Herminia]

Yes. I went to Washington, I went to Chicago. I went to different places.

[Michael Balbaro]

Wow.

[Herminia]

I went like two or three times to New York. I go to the airport and I show my passport.

[Michael Balbaro]

Your passport, which I. Which is a Nicaraguan passport.

[Herminia]

Yes.

[Michael Balbaro]

And you just figured because this administration is not harmful for me.

[Herminia]

It was not harmful for me.

[Michael Balbaro]

Then you can travel, you can go wherever you want to go in the country, and you'll be fine.

[Herminia]

Yeah, yeah. Even though some people always say, you know, on social media, oh, be careful when you travel, not to me. I was really sure that I was safe. I felt safe. All I know is I felt that I had the. I mean, the freedom. I felt that I was a US Citizen in this country, because I know we had an administration that was not hunting people that are good people.

[Michael Balbaro]

What did that tell you about how Americans think about people like you?

[Herminia]

America wasn't against immigrants, not like how they are today.

[Michael Balbaro]

Well, let's turn where I think you're turning. I wonder if there's a moment when you started to realize that despite Biden's election, that America's views, American public views on immigration, especially around illegal immigration, was changing and that that change meant that their views had become far less sympathetic. Was there a moment where you kind of detected that?

[Herminia]

Well, actually, when Biden started let everyone in, I knew there was gonna be a trouble. I knew there was going to be backwards against him.

[Michael Balbaro]

You're saying when border crossings started to surge at the beginning of Biden's presidency, you worried there would be a backlash?

[Herminia]

Not in the beginning, but I knew that the American people started to getting mad at him because a lot of people was coming in. Everything started in New York.

[Michael Balbaro]

Migrants being bussed from Texas to New York.

[Herminia]

Yes. Remember? And from here through New York, from.

[Michael Balbaro]

Florida to New York.

[Herminia]

Yeah. And I knew this was going to be something against everyone. After I knew it, everyone is going to pay the price. I mean, a lot of people around me that have no papers, which, you know, I get frustrated listening to them, that they are undocumented, they were really mad about the people coming in today, you know, through the border. And I said, we cannot be selfish. We came the same way, looking for the same dreams.

[Michael Balbaro]

So you could sense even among those who were undocumented themselves, a frustration with what was happening under Biden because they didn't like it.

[Abdi Latif Dahir]

Yeah.

[Herminia]

I talked to people that have no papers. They've been here for so long. They are referring to the ones that started crossing the border after 2020. They are really mad, because if people that say, Look, I have 25 years in this country and I never had the chance to have even a work permit, I pay taxes. I do this, I do this. I don't why these people come and have everything easy.

[Michael Balbaro]

You're saying that those who have been here for a long time, like you, became frustrated with Biden's humanitarian parole program because it felt like a backdoor.

[Herminia]

Yes, sir. And you know what? I don't say that way. I am not saying, oh, close the border. No. Because I am one of them. I am undocumented. I can't say that. Never, ever.

[Michael Balbaro]

The backlash that it seems you feared would come eventually, of course, it feels like it did come, right? Because poll after poll, and I'm thinking 2022, 2023, early 2024, polls started to show just how unhappy American voters were with how President Biden was handling immigration crossings hit these record highs. And across the political spectrum, and we did polling here at the New York Times, we could see people saying they wanted stricter enforcement of immigration laws. They wanted deportations. Basically. More and more Americans wanted laws enforced against people like you. And I wonder how that felt.

[Herminia]

Look, at the end of this administration, everything was out of control. We can't be blind because it's the truth. I mean, it was out of control. There was a point where the news everywhere were talking about people doing not the right things, especially in New York. And I think this is something that the American people got mad for.

[Michael Balbaro]

It sounds like it perhaps did not surprise you when Trump re emerged over the past few years as a candidate and tapped into this backlash that you had feared would come and began to arrive.

[Herminia]

I knew, Michael, that Trump was gonna win.

[Michael Balbaro]

You knew?

[Herminia]

I knew it, yeah.

[Michael Balbaro]

I'm curious what it was like for you when the results came in. He not only won and won decisively, he won the community where you live so thoroughly. I mean, you live in the Miami Dade area, and for the first time in decades, that community elected a Republican, and that was Donald Trump. And that meant that a majority Hispanic, Latino community had elected a man who Ran on a platform of taking on undocumented immigrants through mass deportation.

[Herminia]

Yep. Because in this community is a lot of Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and Cubans. So as I always say, they missing dictatorship. They missing to live in a dictatorship.

[Michael Balbaro]

They miss a dictatorship.

[Herminia]

You say, oh, of course. Of course. They don't want freedom. They don't really want freedom. So I wasn't surprised. I was kind of sure that he was gonna win. Of course I got worried because at this time, he's coming stronger, threatening, you know, planting hate worse than ever.

[Michael Balbaro]

And, I mean, you said what you said about the different groups and where they're from in the country, but did it feel like your own community had rejected you?

[Herminia]

What they say is, oh, don't worry, he's not going to touch the good people, only the criminals. That's what they have in mind. And you talk to them today, and they're going to tell you that they say, only criminals.

[Michael Balbaro]

In other words, the people in Miami Dade who you talked to after the election said, don't worry. This is not about you.

[Herminia]

No, this is not about you. You are a good person. You pay your taxes, you don't get in trouble. Is only for criminals. Don't worry. You are safe. You'll see. It's only with criminals. I know. It's not only with criminals. It's with everyone. I have a friend. I have a very close friend. And after the election, I found out that he voted for Trump.

[Michael Balbaro]

He knows about your immigration stance.

[Herminia]

Yeah, of course. He's one of my best friends. And I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. I cried like, you have no idea.

[Michael Balbaro]

Wow.

[Herminia]

Because I said, look, it's not about freaking politics. How come you're gonna do that to me?

[Michael Balbaro]

And what did he say?

[Herminia]

No, don't worry. You don't have to think about it. Because more you say, more is gonna happen. Don't worry. It's not. Okay? It's not going to happen to me, but it's going to happen to families out there. Doesn't hurt you. And you yourself, you call yourself Christian in church every. Every Sunday. I mean, doesn't hurt you just to think that a lot of family are going to be separated? Forget about me. Is that the Christian you are?

[Michael Balbaro]

Are you guys. Are you two still speaking?

[Herminia]

He came to my house after. After that. I mean, I'm trying to be, you know, like normal, but inside me, it's not the same anymore. It hurts, Michael. You know what? Because it's not. It's not because Trump is not about politics. It's that you know what's coming. You know this man is coming for me, for my family.

[Michael Balbaro]

We'll be right back.

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[Abdi Latif Dahir]

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[Michael Balbaro]

My name is Abdi Latif Dahir. I'm the East Africa correspondent at the New York Times. I want my work to help our readers understand what's happening here in East Africa and see how it plays a role in the bigger picture. New York Times subscribers keep our journalist reporting from across the map to help you understand the issues shaping our world. If you would like to subscribe, you can do [e-mail] subscribe.

Within the next few days. Once he becomes president again, Donald Trump may order and perhaps even begin to undertake the mass deportations that he has talked about throughout his campaign, and we don't know what they would look like. It may be that in the end, as people in your community have said, he ends up just focusing on those with criminal records. It could be that deportations of people with no criminal records start and there's a public outcry and it gets limited. It may be that the logistics of it are just too complicated and that limits the scale of it. But if we take him at his word, he will soon declare a national emergency and begin rounding up undocumented immigrants and deporting them at a scale that's without precedent. And so I want to understand how you, as somebody with a deportation order and your family, how you're thinking about and planning for that possibility. What has that conversation with your husband and your two children, what has it been like?

[Herminia]

I'm trying to have that conversation with my husband only for now, but of course, my kids have to be aware, have to be informed of everything that we, you know, we're going to do or we can do. But at this point, my daughter doesn't want to talk about that. They don't want to think, not even think about that. They started crying and, mom, please, just, you know, give me five minutes. And, you know, it's a conversation that we're supposed to have since he won, but we were not happy yet.

[Michael Balbaro]

You keep putting it off.

[Herminia]

I sat down with my family, like, two times. Okay. We have to make a plan. We still have not a plan.

[Michael Balbaro]

Are you talking about the possibility of leaving the United States for Nicaragua? I mean, where are you when you're thinking about whether you're going to try to ride this out for another four years or contemplate something more dramatic?

[Herminia]

I'm gonna stay here until the day they catch me. I'm gonna stay here until something happened. But hopefully nothing happened. But sometimes, I'm not gonna lie to you. Yes, sometimes I think about leaving before everything get worse because, I mean, it's not alive to be thinking about. Any minute something could happen to me or my husband. I am really scared about him because he work in construction, and I know they're gonna do, you know, roundup in construction places.

[Michael Balbaro]

And you're worried that he will be exposed to a raid because that's an obvious place for Immigration Customs Enforcement officials to go.

[Herminia]

Yes. I told my husband, please try not to call me when this guy get the power, because every time I see your call, I don't want to think the worst.

[Michael Balbaro]

You're worried that every time your husband calls you, he is also here without documentation. You're saying anytime your phone rings during the Trump presidency, you're worried it's going to mean it's that call.

[Herminia]

Yep.

[Michael Balbaro]

You mentioned nightmares. Do you have a recurring nightmare about this moment?

[Herminia]

Yes, I have nightmares that they catch my husband, and I see my kids crying. And then sometimes I have nightmares like, I am in Nicaragua, and I say, why I am here? Why am I here? I'm not supposed to be here. I mean, sometimes I wake up, like, and I pray. Sometimes I work and I'm Overthinking and I start crying and.

[Michael Balbaro]

I mean, you've just said that. I'm gonna stay here until I'm caught. I wonder how small you're willing to let your life become, how cautious you're willing to be. I mean, in order to have that work. Are you willing to bring the shades back down and oh, of course. Put the sign back on the door inside that tells your husband, your kids and visitors don't ever answer the door. You're willing to do that again?

[Herminia]

My little girl is bigger now, so she understands better. Yes. The window is going to roll down and I think my life is going to be home, work, work, home, home, work, work, home.

[Michael Balbaro]

Of course, no travel. No, no.

[Herminia]

Not even Walmart, I think not even.

[Michael Balbaro]

Going to the grocery store.

[Herminia]

No, Michael, no, no. I mean, a lot of people that are gonna hear this interview gonna say, come on, no.

[Michael Balbaro]

Walmart would become too risky.

[Herminia]

Everywhere, everywhere is gonna become risky. I say starting next weekend, I'm not going to church anymore.

[Michael Balbaro]

You're not gonna go to church anymore?

[Herminia]

No, I'm not gonna go to church anymore because they are willing to not respect the church either. So thank God we have YouTube, we have a lot of messages online.

[Michael Balbaro]

You're going to watch church services online?

[Herminia]

Yes. You know, I'm going to try just to go to work, home, homework, that's it.

[Michael Balbaro]

I mean that's a very small but you know what in which to occupy.

[Herminia]

I feel secure like that. Staying home. I'm not going to die. I'm not going to. I think I will be more depressed if I am old. I mean, my daughter told me that we gonna have to move. So we're gonna start looking for another place to stay and try to day by day be safe.

[Michael Balbaro]

There may be those listening who think to themselves that you're describing a life of staying that is so circumscribed that you cannot even go to Walmart, that you cannot go to church, that your husband has to change his job. That sounds like a scenario in which it might be preferable to have some control over your life and decide when and how you leave and have the ability to pack your bags and say goodbye on your own terms rather than basically go into hiding and wait for something to happen.

[Herminia]

I mean, maybe ahead I take the decision and I leave by my own. But right now my daughters are saying that they will, they will go with me to go, you know, go back to Nicaragua with me. These two girls are very, very attached to me. Michael, My oldest daughter, she's 30 and she said that her dream is to have a duplex where she have me, you know, at the other side of the house. And the last time we have a conversation, they say to me, they are willing to go with me, but I don't want it. I love them, but this is their country here. They have opportunities. So I think maybe. Maybe that's why I'm not thinking and that way yet, because I'm thinking of their future. My country have nothing good to, you know, there's no future.

[Michael Balbaro]

And you're worried that if you leave and try to control the situation, then they will leave, too, and, you know, that will be almost automatic for them based on how they feel about you.

[Herminia]

You know, the youngest one, she got a full scholarship to go to New.

[Michael Balbaro]

York, to go to college in New York.

[Herminia]

Yes. And she said, no, I'm not leaving my mom. I think we are not a normal family.

[Michael Balbaro]

Well, she must love you very fiercely.

[Herminia]

Yep. So maybe I haven't made that decision yet because I don't want them to be in a country where they can. They're not going to survive. They grew up here in usa. I mean, if I know that I'm going to be safe if I don't go to church, if I don't go to Walmart, if I don't go anywhere, I don't care. I mean, I don't care.

[Michael Balbaro]

I can stay home because it means your daughters get to stay here, too.

[Herminia]

Yes.

[Michael Balbaro]

I feel like I have to ask you this. If you don't make it through the next four years and you are deported, would you try to come back into the United States? Would you try to do this all over again?

[Herminia]

I don't think so.

[Michael Balbaro]

No.

[Herminia]

I don't think I will try to come back. Even if I love this country.

[Michael Balbaro]

That chapter of your life, the American chapter, would be over.

[Herminia]

Yeah. Because I, you know, I think I. I have to have some dignity also.

[Michael Balbaro]

And dignity means not returning to a country that has deported you.

[Herminia]

Yeah.

[Michael Balbaro]

If you end up leaving and it ends up being at the hands of deportation, is that going to change how you feel about America and about what America means?

[Herminia]

No. No. You know, this country has so many beautiful people. I know a lot of Americans, that they are really good people. No, I will not get bad sentiments about America. I love this country. I love usa. I am very grateful with this country.

[Michael Balbaro]

I'm trying to make sense of what it means to you that your American journey may end with Americans having decided that the way you feel about it is not the way they feel about.

[Herminia]

You they are responsible for their feelings and I will never have negative feeling of Americans and for the people that support deportations, you know, family separations, I leave it to God. I can only say God bless him.

[Michael Balbaro]

Well Herminia, I want to thank you for your time again and no matter where you end up, I I hope.

That we get to speak again.

[Herminia]

Thank you Michael.

[Michael Balbaro]

Thank you. We appreciate it.

[Herminia]

Bye bye.

[Michael Balbaro]

We'll be right back.

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[Michael Balbaro]

App has all this stuff that you may not have seen.

[Abdi Latif Dahir]

The way the tabs are at the.

[Herminia]

Top with all of the different sections.

[Michael Balbaro]

I can immediately navigate to something that.

Matches what I'm feeling, click wordle or.

[Abdi Latif Dahir]

Connections and then swipe over to read today's headlines.

[Herminia]

There's an article next to a recipe next to games and it's just easy to get everything in one place. This app is essential. The New York Times app All of the times all in one place.

[Michael Balbaro]

Download it [e-mail] app.

Here'S what else you need to know today. On Thursday, Israel's prime minister accused Hamas of backing away from the terms of the ceasefire deal announced a day earlier and jeopardizing the hard fought agreement. According to Israel, Hamas has demanded changes for how Israeli troops are deployed along Gaza's border with Egypt and called for the release of terrorists that are unacceptable to Israel. Nevertheless, US Officials expressed confidence that the ceasefire would still begin as planned on Sunday. And during his confirmation hearing, former Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin, Donald Trump's pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency, was pushed to affirm the existence of climate change.

Mr. Zeldin, 2024, as you know, was the hottest year in recorded history. The past 10 years have been the hottest 10 years on record. In the midst of all of that, President Elect Trump has said that climate change is a hoax. Do you agree that with President Elect Trump that climate change is a hoax?

[Herminia]

I believe that climate change is real as I told you.

[Michael Balbaro]

Breaking with Trump, Zeldin said that climate change was not a hoax and said he was committed to working with career employees of the epa, many of whom remain deeply suspicious of the Trump White House.

[Herminia]

I will foster a collaborative culture within the apartment agency, supporting career staff who.

[Michael Balbaro]

Have dedicated themselves to this mission.

[Herminia]

I strongly believe we have a moral responsibility to be good stewards of our.

[Michael Balbaro]

Environment for generations to come. If you caught Monday's episode about the tech billionaire Marc Andreessen, a major figure in Silicon Valley's shift toward Donald Trump, our colleague columnist Ross Douthit has a new interview with Andreessen out this weekend. You can find it on the New York Times podcast Matter of Opinion. Just search Matter of Opinion wherever you listen. Today's episode was produced by Jessica Chung. It was edited by Devin Taylor, contains research assistance from Susan Lee, originally music by Alicia Ba? Itube, Rowie nymisto and Pat McCusker and was engineered by Alyssa Moxley. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsberg of Wonderly. That's it for the Daily I'm Michael Balvaro. See you on Monday.

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