Author’s Note: This article was written in early February and may not reflect recent developments in current affairs.
Demonstrators march from a rally on Sunday, 2 February, protesting the recent ICE arrest of Jesus Romero-Hernandez in Ithaca. Corallus Meeks
From the beginning of his campaign for presidency, President Donald Trump vowed to tighten the nation’s borders and impose strict immigration controls. His administration’s actions in the first term saw controversial measures, from family separations at the border to a crackdown on undocumented migrants. Under President Joe Biden’s administration, there were visible reversals of many of these policies, from safeguarding vulnerable populations like Venezuelans and Haitians, to legal battles surrounding border enforcement, family reunification, and easing the path to citizenship and asylum for those fleeing persecution. Already under Trump’s second term in office, his extensive executive orders on immigration run rampant and leave an anxious society with key legal battles looming, including the potential Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship.
On January 19, tens of thousands of Mexican immigrants awaited legal entry into the US because of an appointment of admission they each had booked via a government app called CPB. Minutes after Trump was sworn in on January 20, the app was shut down, disabling any currently scheduled migrants from crossing legally.
Furthermore, Trump has reinstated his “Remain in Mexico” policy, issued under his first term and then reversed by Biden. This policy disallows migrants claiming asylum to stay in the United States until their court hearings. However, with a backlog in courts of over 3.6 million asylum cases, these migrants could have to wait for years to be allowed to flee their country in face of persecution, poverty, or danger. Humanitarian protection to Venezuelans, Haitians, Cuban, and Nicaraguan immigrants was also cut off on Inauguration Day. Trump has expressed his desire to end birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants or parents in the country legally but temporarily, arguing that the practice was being exploited. Trump attempted using an executive order to eliminate birthright citizenship, but such a change would require a constitutional amendment, not just an executive action. Already, the executive order has faced backlash; it received a temporary restraining order by federal judges and numerous lawsuits filed by attorney generals and civil rights groups. Although unlikely, if Trump’s order did take effect, it would restrict access of many children to basic public services such as medical care, housing, or government support. Children of undocumented immigrants or temporary residents’ citizenship status in other countries would depend on whether their parents’ home countries grant citizenship to children born abroad, potentially leaving them with no birthright country.
Additionally, multi-generational families face the painful reality of losing undocumented elders to deportation, who may have come to the United States undocumented but had since raised and established a family. Trump’s current actions concerning citizenship access are not appearing to provide any more ease in the process for these families.
The continuation of aggressive deportation tactics, coupled with the tightening of asylum restrictions, paints a grim picture for millions of undocumented individuals and their families. The emphasis on border enforcement over comprehensive immigration reform has led to a cycle of fear and uncertainty for immigrant communities across the country.
Yet, these policies also mobilize more people to advocate for change. Advocacy groups, immigrant rights organizations, and legal teams have been fighting back through lawsuits and legal challenges that aim to block executive orders. For instance, multiple federal courts have temporarily halted the Trump administration’s attempts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has protected over 700,000 young immigrants from deportation. Additionally, litigation has been used to challenge the “Remain in Mexico” policy and other asylum restrictions, which have severely limited the ability of vulnerable individuals to seek protection on U.S. soil. These legal victories, although temporary, show the ongoing efforts to safeguard immigrants’ rights within the legal framework of the U.S. Constitution.
Locally, ICSD has sent out a community-wide letter addressing these recent actions and reaffirming safety for students; the letter clarifies that no family is forced to provide immigration status for students to attend school and neither is the administration obligated to enforce contact with federal immigration authorities. Scan the QR Code to read the letter in full. Additionally, in the broader Ithaca community, hundreds have shown their support for immigrants’ rights in a well-attended rally that took place on The Commons on February 2 following a recent ICE raid in the city. Ithacan Mayor Robert Cantelmo spoke and present were other significant figures such as Ithaca’s State Assembly member and Tompkins County Legislators.
Scan to read ICSD’s Commitment to a Safe and Inclusive Learning Environment.
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