American children in Louisiana are losing their caretakers, and their teenaged siblings are having to shoulder the burden of paying rent and putting food on the table after federal immigration agents swept up their parents in operation “Catahoula Crunch.”

Vilma Cruz, a 38-year-old Honduran national who worked as a house painter, had spent nearly half her life in the U.S. when federal agents pulled up beside her car, smashed her car window then took her into custody without presenting a warrant, according to her family.

Cruz's son, Jonathan Escalante, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen, is now scrambling to locate important documents and provide for his 9-year-old, physically disabled sister after federal agents detained their mother.

He tells the AP "that was a really bad gut feeling and my first thought is ‘Where am I gonna live?"

“Honestly I’m not ready — having to take care of all of these responsibilities," Escalante said. “But I’m willing to take them on if I have to. And I’m just praying that I get my mom back.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.