Skid Row’s illegal migrant family realize American dream is over for them — and they were better off in Colombia
A Colombian family living with their 6-year-old son in a motorhome on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles is facing harsh realities that make returning home seem safer.
Kate Monroe, CEO of VetComm, described the area as filled with “zombies” and people “overdosing,” saying many migrants who sneak into California quickly realize the American dream they imagined “is an illusion.”
Her remarks follow the reporting of citizen journalist Nick Shirley, who documented the family living in a tent and motorhome surrounded by drug users.
The family, including six-year-old Dylan, came to the U.S. seeking a better life but instead found themselves in dangerous and unsanitary conditions. “They didn’t think they were going to come here and end up in a tent,” Monroe said. She added that many migrants enter the country with help from cartels and often have no clear destination once they arrive.
“They’re living on the street with a bunch of zombies,” Monroe said. “They’re walking through disease and filth, and they might pass someone overdosing. It’s scary.” Monroe, who has visited Skid Row and other drug-affected areas on the West Coast, said conditions for migrants are often worse than in their home countries.
“They were not safe when they came here, and they aren’t safe now. The American dream is an illusion,” she added.
Monroe also noted that some migrants face extortion, paying a “spot fee” to live on the streets. “You can’t just set up a tent or park a motorhome. One street may be controlled by one gang, and the next by a cartel,” she said. Many, she said, want to leave but face huge challenges in finding safer housing.
Dylan has spent over two months living in a motorhome on Stanford Street, one of the most dangerous sections of Skid Row, with his parents Angelo and Julia and his uncle Antonio. “We were on Towne Street before, but we didn’t think we’d survive,” Angelo, 27, told reporters through a translator.
Julia expressed fear for her son’s safety. The family locks themselves inside their motorhome whenever Angelo steps out, though incidents such as a recent motorhome fire make even that unsafe. “The other day a motorhome was set on fire, and everything in it burned up,” she said.
Daily life on Skid Row is grim. Entire blocks are lined with tents, sidewalks serve as makeshift bedrooms and kitchens, and open-air drug use is common. Chronic medical crises and untreated mental illness are visible on the streets. “It’s not a good place for a kid,” Angelo said.
The family crossed from Mexico into California after a grueling two-and-a-half-month journey through the jungle. Angelo said he earns $150 a day working in construction but previously gave up an apartment due to unsafe conditions from drug activity in the building.
During a three-hour visit, The Post observed no police presence or outreach services in the area. This is despite Los Angeles spending billions on homelessness programs, including shelters, supportive housing, mental health services, and outreach.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority manages hundreds of millions in city, county, state, and federal funds annually. Meanwhile, the county’s Skid Row Action Plan has allocated roughly $280 million since 2022 for expanded housing, healthcare, and supportive services—but the area remains one of the nation’s most dangerous and destitute neighborhoods.
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