Sixteen-year-old Billy’s friends at his rural southern high school don’t know that he is one of thousands of children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border because of then-President Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy.

At the school where he played football, Billy does not talk about what he went through; that his father had been told six years ago that Billy had been adopted and that he feared he would never see his son again.

As the United States teeters on the brink of an election that could put Trump back in office, Billy wants people to know that what happened to him and thousands of other children is still happening. Some families have not been reunited, and many of those reunited in the US have temporary status and fear that Trump will triumphantly carry out the mass deportations he has promised.

“It was a very painful thing that happened to us,” said Billy, who was 9 at the time. He did not want his full name or the state where he lives to be disclosed for fear of jeopardizing his family’s asylum application.

Trump has put his views on immigration at the center of his campaign, accusing the Biden administration and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, of failing to secure the southern border. Harris did not make immigration a campaign focus, but she did bring up Trump’s zero-tolerance policy, one of his most contentious immigration actions as president.

The Trump administration has sought to criminally prosecute all adults who cross the border illegally. Parents were separated from their children, who were transported to shelters across the country.

Trump and his campaign have not been specific about whether he would revive the practice if he wins on Nov. 5. university interview last year it “prevented hundreds of thousands of people from coming.”

“President Trump will restore effective immigration policies, impose new pressures that will send shockwaves through criminal traffickers around the world, and mobilize all federal and state forces necessary to launch the largest deportation operation against illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human smugglers. American history,” said Karoline Leavitt, press secretary for the Trump campaign.

Harris’ campaign held an event this month featuring children separated from their families, aiming to draw attention to Trump’s policies.

Speaking at the event, Billy is one of a group of children who have shared their stories in short social media videos to highlight the zero tolerance policy. Billy and his father also visited lawmakers in Washington.

Billy told The Associated Press that although he doesn’t usually talk about his experiences, he and others “make sure we speak up and share our stories” so something like this will never happen again.

Many of the families separated years ago are in legal limbo and their immigration status is questionable. According to the agreement announced last year between families and the Biden administration, families have two years to apply for asylum through a more convenient process.

As the election approaches, advocates say they are hearing from separated families who fear Trump will follow through on his promise to deport millions of people if elected.

“The families we serve are afraid and have many questions about what a new Trump administration would mean for them,” said Anilú Chadwick Soltes, philanthropic director of Together & Free, an organization founded in 2018 in response to zero tolerance. policy. The group works to help separated families.

The 2023 agreement barred future administrations from using family separation as a widespread policy until 2031. But advocates have concerns.

Christie Turner-Herbas, senior counsel at Kids in Need of Defense, said she was concerned about exceptions to the policy being exploited and said there needed to be political will to implement it.

The Trump administration’s policy deviated from the general practice of keeping families with children together when they arrive at the southern border.

The aim was to deter people by subjecting anyone who crossed the border to criminal prosecution. A lawsuit was filed against the parents for the families. Children who could not be detained were treated as unaccompanied children and transferred to shelters.

After a backlash, Trump said he was ending the policy on June 20, 2018. Six days later, a judge ordered the government to reunite families that had been separated by the thousands. The agencies’ computer systems were not properly connected, making it difficult for families to be reunited. The deportation of many parents made matters even more complicated.

When Democrat Joe Biden became president, he created a task force to reunite families. Building on the efforts of groups suing the Trump administration, task force estimated It said about 5,000 children had been separated and about 1,400 had not been confirmed to be reunited with their families.

Some are in the process. Others are believed to have reunited in the US but are not coming forward, possibly fearing government intervention. The search continues as there is no valid contact information for the others.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which is suing the Trump administration for helping end family separation, puts the number of children separated from their families at close to 5,500.

Lee Gelernt, the lead attorney on this case, said the ACLU estimates as many as 1,000 families are still living apart.

“Some young children now spend almost their entire lives without their parents,” he said.

The task force operates a website where families can sign up for reunions and is working with the International Organization for Migration to assist these families with things such as obtaining passports to come to the United States. make radio announcements calling parents.

Advocacy groups have also been influential.

Working with advocates in Mexico and Central America to track down the parents, Justice in Motion uses the last known address and speaks to neighbors, local businesses, hospitals, schools — anyone who knows that person’s whereabouts.

But Nan Schivone, the organization’s legal director, said they faced the problem of poor record keeping that was now outdated.

Families and children separated from their families are struggling with the effects of this situation.

For 22-year-old Efrain, there was guilt. Efrain said his father didn’t want to bring him to the U.S. in 2018, but he pushed for it. When they finally separated, Efrain wondered if it would be better for his father to be alone.

His father was sent back to Guatemala. Efrain, who did not want his full name used for fear of repercussions, was kept in a shelter for unaccompanied children for about five months.

His father is diabetic and Efrain is worried about his health. When they were able to video call after leaving the shelter, Efrain noticed how weak his father looked.

They reunited three years later at the Atlanta airport. Since then, Efrain says he’s been trying to make up for lost time. She says she struggles with anxiety and loneliness, reflecting on the loneliness she felt after separating from her father.

“It’s like I’m alone in a locked room,” he said in Spanish.

Meanwhile, Billy’s father is still crying years later as he describes what he and his son went through. He believes people are forgetting what happened and the trauma the families experienced.

Billy says he has a purpose in sharing his experiences: “I know my story has great power.”

Santana writes for the Associated Press. AP reporter Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, contributed to this report.