Since the inauguration of President Trump, several recessive policies have been introduced. On Jan. 20, the Trump Administration rescinded a policy from the Biden Administration and removed restrictions preventing ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) from entering locations deemed “sensitive” such as schools, hospitals and churches.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated, “This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP (Customs and Border Protection) and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murders and rapists—who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
The Crusader staff is in agreement that allowing ICE into these sensitive locations is immoral and should not be allowed.
The Trump Administration claims that the purpose of abolishing these guaranteed protections is in order to catch “criminal aliens.” This statement is not only dehumanizing but nonsensical overall. We at The Crusader believe that school should be a safe place for students to receive their education–something essential to society as a whole–as well as a place to develop social skills and relationships. Students should be able to go to school without the fear of ICE showing up.
This fear would result in a less educated community, as children choose to stay home rather than further their education safely. AP News reports, “The new policy on immigration enforcement at schools likely will prompt some immigrant parents who fear deportation to keep their children home, even if they face little risk,” said Michael Lukens, executive director for the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights. He said he believes it is part of the administration’s goal to make life so untenable that immigrants eventually leave the United States on their own.”
Granting ICE the permission to target schools severely hurts school districts, especially in Hispanic communities. Education is extremely important, and missing out on it due to the fear that your family will be targeted is unacceptable. Students should never have to worry about their safety at school, but ICE ensures that very fear.
ICE being allowed into hospitals also comes with its own negative impacts. The absolvement of protections against ICE for hospitals causes a higher rate of illnesses and deaths in people who would have otherwise gone to get help. This ultimately does more harm than good, resulting in the increase in mortality rates as well as the decrease of efficiency and treatment in hospitals and clinics.
However, the ICE raids don’t just threaten education and health, but also faith. Dylan Corbett, executive director of the Hope Border Institute, a Catholic advocacy and humanitarian organization, told osvnews, “Our freedom to be a place of welcome and healing [is at stake].” Churches are a place that many find security and community in, by stripping this away due to the looming threat of being put in a detention center or being deported, the freedom of religion the U.S. prides itself in having is essentially diminished.
Although the situation may seem hopeless, individuals are not obligated to talk to ICE and do not have to allow ICE to enter if the agents do not possess a warrant signed by a judge.
The Crusader staff hopes for a brighter future, one where ICE restrictions regarding safe spaces are reimplemented on a national level.
