During his campaign, President Donald Trump continuously promised the people that on day one, he would close the Mexico-US border, vowing to remove illegal immigrants by launching the largest deportation in United States history, according to NBC News. In his first week in office, he acted on that promise, signing ten different executive orders to sharpen immigration laws and issuing mass deportations. Now, a month and a half into the Trump Administration, the extent of his plans are starting to unfold.
Since President Trump has taken up his seat in the oval office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained an average of 872 people per day, as compared to the 2024 average of 250 people per day. Around the country, detainment facilities have been filled above federal funding capacity due to a more than 4,000 person increase from when Trump took office, rising to a staggering 44,000 people, according to the New York Times.
Despite those rising numbers, less and less detainees are being released on parole than when President Biden was in office, as the process of ICE granting parole was officially ended in late February. Of the amount of immigrants in federal detention centers, around 16% had no criminal charges, growing from the January 8% statistic, according to CNN.
“[Mass deportation] is something that is constantly in the back of my mind during school, when I’m sleeping, or when I’m alone. I have no idea what I would do if I lost one of my family members. My entire life, my family has been my biggest support without them, I would be lost,” said LACES junior Apple Torres.
Threats of deportation can severely affect communities. In the past month, protest has taken several forms, from going on strikes, staying home to hide, taking to the streets with signs, and sharing online.
“No one should be treated as an outsider due to them trying to make a better life,” said Torres.
As measures have become even more extreme, some states like Pennsylvania and Oklahoma are permitting ICE agents to come into school classrooms. In California, the law states that they can only come into a school if they declare exigent circumstances, or if they have a warrant, in which case teachers cannot block them from coming into classrooms.
“It makes me angry to the point that our community and our administration is not, you know, making us feel protected. And for them to allow these agents, even though they have a priority over them, it’s still like… Your students should come first, you know? So it’s, like, you have to make sure that we are protected,” said junior Amber Castro.
At schools in California, including LACES, there is a way of schools protecting their students. According to Unidos, schools cannot give identifying information about students to third parties. That information can only be granted by a court issued subpoena, although even if it is granted, most schools do not require documentation to receive enrollment, so they don’t contain that information. However, ICE agents may not only be targeting students.
“If they were to come outside in front of the school, … I don’t know that that could be stopped,” said LACES Ethnic Studies Teacher Dr. Ingrid Fey.
Instead of coming into a school, where they would be forced to have a court ordered permit, they can wait outside of grounds for family or students and attempt to speak to them there, which LACES staff cannot control.
If you are or you know someone who may be subject to deportation or inspection, it’s important to have a plan in place. According to the National Immigration Law Center, the main components of a plan are matters like childcare and if you have someone who depends on you what they can do, financial commitments, legal protection contacts, and record safekeeping.
It’s also important to know your rights. If you’re being questioned, stay calm, and recognize that you have the right to stay silent, and you have the right to refuse a search. Do not lie, or give false information. If you are being detained and under threat of deportation, as long as you do not sign a “Stipulated Removal Order” or take a voluntary departure, you have the right to a hearing where you can challenge a deportation order, according to the ACLU.
In any case, it’s important to have a plan at the ready, and have a lawyer you are comfortable with and can trust with a case if you find yourself in trouble. Immigration is a delicate matter, one that is very close at hand in the city of Los Angeles. Wherever you are, it’s important to stay prepared.
“It’s just like a really unsafe environment for everybody. It creates a lot of fear,” said Castro.
