She was deported nine times. Then, like others, she found her American Dream in Mexico

Tijuana, Mexico —

Esther Morales lived in the United States for roughly 20 years. Despite being deported several times, she repeatedly returned illegally for a chance at the American Dream.

Her ninth deportation, in 2009, would be her last. Unable to return to the United States because of tougher enforcement, she ended up in Tijuana and decided to stay.

“It was very sad because my daughter is back in the US … So, the family separation obviously affected me a lot,” she told CNN.

As difficult as it was, Morales had to accept that Tijuana would be her new home, and that the only way to make the best of it was to press forward.

Roughly 16 years later, Morales, originally from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, has established herself in the border city of 2 million people as one of the regi