In 1984, the Mexican norteño band Los Tigres del Norte released both an album and a song titled "La Jaula de Oro." The song became an enduring anthem about the immigrant experience, the "golden cage" being the United States, where material comfort comes at the cost of freedom, family, and belonging.

In the United States, there are between 11 and 14 million undocumented immigrants. The majority of these immigrants are from Latin America and leave behind their entire lives to find better opportunities in the United States. Many of them have been living in the United States for the majority of their lives; however, no legal pathway to citizenship exists for them.

As a result, countless individuals have not returned to their countries of origin since they first arrived. They live each day with the fear of being detained by ICE and deported to a country they no longer recognize or know.