You would assume that you are safe in schools, hospitals, and churches, but in this past week we have been shown that we are not. As soon as Donald Trump was inaugurated as the forty-seventh president of the United States, we saw him sign a flurry of executive orders. Many of which affect the immigrant community in our country.
One of those executive orders was the policy that now allows ICE agents to enter and arrest people in schools, hospitals, and churches if they are violent criminals and undocumented. It ended a safe harbor policy that has been in effect since 2011. This has had many Americans and immigrants worried about what is coming next. These places are supposed to be safe and now children and people around the country are worried that their loved ones might not come back. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said that ”Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrests”.
When I see policies like this go into effect that outrages me, in the places we thought we are allowed to be vulnerable and comfortable are the ones where we will soon be targets. As a first-generation American coming from an immigrant family, I see all the struggles and barriers that are placed on our community. Even when these barriers are placed on us, many of us work hard to escape from it. It shows how deep the hatred for minorities is in this country and how we are no longer safe. I decided to write about this topic because there should be people advocating and educating themselves on the serious issues happening in this country, even if it doesn’t directly affect you.
We want the students of CSSJ to know that in this building, you are safe. We are a community and we do everything in our power to help defend your rights as students of our school. This is a place where you can be vulnerable because many of us understand and went through the same struggles as you. CSSJ is here to support our students and community.
