As of Jan 20, President Donald Trump is already making major waves across the country with his new policies. Ahead of taking office, President Trump was vocal about increasing border security and removing immigrants from the country.
“The Democrats say, ‘Please don’t call them animals. They’re humans.’ I said, ‘No, they’re not humans, they’re not human. They’re animals,” Trump said at a rally in 2024.
He recently signed a series of executive orders declaring a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border and for a heavy crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Additionally, he reinstated the Remain in Mexico Act to prevent asylum seekers from being admitted into the U.S. so their immigration cases could be assessed. Furthermore, he is set on completing the border wall while sending over 1,500 troops to the area for extra security.
“They’re poisoning the blood of our country. That’s what they’ve done. They poison – mental institutions and prisons all over the world,” Trump said at a rally in 2023 when speaking about immigrants.
The Justice Department will begin to take a closer look at immigrant information, and the Trump administration reports there will be a focus on criminals. Raids are set to start in metropolitan cities from as New York, Washington D.C and Chicago.
With the new policies passed, deportation arrests will be able to be carried out in places such as schools, churches and hospitals.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens – including murderers 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 Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
These statements and policies are making many immigrants, documented or not, fear for their futures. Some families are keeping their children home in the event they are taken away from school by the government.
Some boards of education all over the country insist they will not help ICE enforce immigration laws without criminal warrants. In Chicago, a resolution was passed to ensure children’s right to a public education regardless of their citizenship status.
As of Thursday, Jan. 23, ICE reported they arrested 538 people nationwide. In Newark, a raid took place at Ocean Seafood Depot and multiple people were detained. The threats are becoming a harsh reality for citizens all over the country, and lots of the population is binding together to protect those targeted.
“We will protect our neighbors and family members. Newark will stand up for democracy,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement on Jan. 24. He condemns the raids and calls upon officials in New Jersey to protect their citizens.
