DUE TO the current president’s new policies regarding immigration, many American families are being impacted. Lancers, unfortunately, may already have been affected by ICE. Many families have been living in fear, worrying if their loved ones will be able to come home each night.
ICE has directly impacted many students. “My family has had some issues with immigration, such as friends and family being deported, leaving some of my family members with struggles, such as how they’re going to pay the bills,” Jakki Urcino (11) said. She has seen ICE roaming around West Valley. “I’ve seen ICE driving around on the roads and at store parking lots such as Walmart. It’s very sad to see what’s going on; families are being torn apart, and people are dying while in the custody of ICE,” she said.
Twenty people have died in ICE custody so far this year, the most since 2005, according to the npr.com website.
Deporting immigrants might cause the country some serious labor issues, because businesses will need to find people to take over jobs. “No one really understands what’s going on until it happens to them or to someone they’re close to. As to how this whole situation will affect the future, immigrants are the backbone of this country; they do the jobs that no one else wants to do,” Urcino said.
Most immigrants who are in the U.S. do not have a criminal record. They come to the U.S. for better opportunities for themselves and their families, or they’re fleeing from violence in their home countries, because they want to give their children a better future.
Mr. Black, the Latinos in Action adviser, is also affected by ICE. “Myself, friends, family members, and my students have had experiences with immigration. I’ve seen ICE here around the city, which is quite concerning. I witnessed an ICE raid when I was in LA with a buddy. It was terrifying and quite traumatic — not only for the people involved, but for me as a witness to something like that; it changed my perspective on how all this takes place and what’s right and wrong,” Black said.
“They’re going after people and not giving them due process rights, and I think people deserve rights, whether they’re citizens or not citizens, so whether or not they’re here legally doesn’t matter; they deserve a fair trial,” Black said. The new immigration policies can be seen as inhumane. “I think they need to have a warrant for the arrest and shouldn’t arrest anyone without cause. Immigrants don’t deserve to be separated from their children or parents. I think it should be a basic human right. ICE is causing so much animosity towards the government, and people are not going to be happy,” Black said.
ICE agents are detaining people at check-ins without warning, and the raids are becoming more common. It’s not known when they’ll stop, but one thing students can do is keep trying their hardest and not let anything stop them from learning.
Black hopes that this situation does not interfere with student achievement. “The system isn’t going to be trusted. I think a lot of students in the school are going to survive this overall. Still, it could create an environment where there’s more racial hate and distrust in the community, which could make the whole community function differently, as it could be harder to trust each other. Students need to be very careful and stay safe. But this should not stop students from trying to be good and successful. Don’t let all these policies and ICE raids scare you away from being successful and pursuing your dreams. You can’t let this stop you,” Black said.
