Students and families in Texas and other red states are left reeling from how they will be affected by President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders relating to immigration.
The fear of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents coming into previously protected areas like schools, churches and courthouses leaves undocumented immigrants and even legal immigrants planning for the danger ICE poses to their community.
Some college students are anxious about their ability to attend classes, so they are choosing to skip classes or pause their academic dreams until things die down.
Parents of younger students are concerned about whether they’ll be separated from their children during school hours. Who will pick up their kids? Who will watch them until the parents are back? Will they be deported with their children if that’s what they choose?
Parents have to plan for legal guardianship and medical directives in case they get picked up outside of school, and the child is unaware. This is a nightmare for families.
Another fear is ICE officers will come into the school system and take students who are undocumented immigrants, violating students’ rights and privacy. For that matter, legal citizens also fear they will be detained if they don’t have a valid ID.
Knowing your rights will help ease some of the anxiety. The American Immigration Lawyers Association provides a list of things to do if you are stopped by ICE, including that you may ask if you are free to leave. If the officer says no, you may exercise your right to remain silent, and you have the right to immediately contact a lawyer. If you don’t have one, tell the immigration officers you want to speak to a lawyer. You can refuse to sign any and all paperwork until you have had the opportunity to speak to a lawyer.
These topics are being discussed in classrooms, lunchrooms and playgrounds nationwide. The uncertainty is impacting the mental health of families. Young kids, teens and adult learners are all afraid for themselves, their parents, extended families and friends.
Educators are yet again put in a position to protect their students when their government fails to do.
Texas state Rep. David Lowe, R-North Richland Hills District 91 gave a shocking answer to students during Community College Day at the Capitol Feb. 3 when asked about immigration and closing the border.
“If we do not prioritize America, we are going to go down and we are going to turn into places like France, where they are being overrun by people that were not from their country,” Lowe said. “They did not support cultural appropriation, etc. It’s changing the fabric of our nation.”
Some people take comments like this to be extremely disheartening. The Trump administration and its supporters weaponize the importance and safety of children when it comes to health care and education. But then, they dehumanize children of immigrants in the same breath.
When you tell people to use the proper immigration process but then fail to streamline it through low-cost, speedy fillings and hiring more immigration agents to process cases and blanket-ban asylum, it leads to even more determined people taking desperate measures such as illegally entering through our borders.
As someone whose family fled from civil war and economic scarcity to find safety in North America, my parents only wanted to secure our safety and ability to live a full and happy life.
Creating a better America should prioritize giving shelter to families that are fleeing poverty, crime or lack of education, not hindering their success.
