What begins as an ordinary family goodbye turns into an encounter that exposes how easily freedom can vanish. In this opening chapter of The Village Won, Jackie tells the story of the moment she and her children were taken into the immigration system without warning, explanation, or charges. Through memory, emotion, and lived experience, this episode pulls back the curtain on what it feels like to be reduced to a number, separated from your family, and pressured to sign away your future.

This is what it looks like from the inside.

A story told from lived experience. From inside the system. And from the people who fought to break through it.

The Village Won. Follow us at thevillagewon.com.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Coming January 2026.