In the fall of 2017, immigrant Esmeralda Monzón and her family face financial struggles amidst the possible cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Unable to work pending the renewal of her DACA and work permit, Esmeralda feels powerless and burdensome to her family, as her brother and mother have to take on more responsibilities to get by.

The family's situation worsens when Immigration & Customs Enforcement officers detain Esmeralda, believing her to be in the country illegally. Encountering armed officers and facing the threat of deportation, Esmeralda experiences a panic attack. With neither of her family members able to come to her aid, Esmeralda has to manage through her panic to try to prove her valid DACA status to the officers - but without revealing that her mother is undocumented.

Based on a true story.

NARRATIVE SHORT | 34:50

Director Biography - Maurizio Dominguez

Maurizio Dominguez is a Mexican-American actor and filmmaker, a graduated from Specs Howard School of Media Arts. Maurizio got his start in acting and film working with Matrix Theatre Company in Southwest Detroit. In collaboration with Matrix, he co-directed and edited The Way of Art - a documentary short about the building of a 12-foot puppet of Diego Rivera, which won the award for Best Documentary Short at the 2020 I See You Awards.
Maurizio's passion is visual storytelling - he loves building and supporting a story through images. Most recently he directed and produced the short film Un Día Normal, which looks at the challenges faced by recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) and the impact on immigration enforcement on families and communities.