Donald J. Trump, 47th U.S. president, has signed off an executive order, calling for a mass deportation policy to deport undocumented immigrants without legal status. Since his last presidential campaign in 2016, President Trump has pledged to deport a large number of immigrants from this country and has begun ICE raids all over the country. According to NBC News, the Trump administration is planning to conduct major immigration raids in three U.S. cities per week. When conducting these raids, ICE agents often present themselves as police officers; they may even be dressed in bulletproof vests or plain clothes. Since signing the executive order, major ICE raids have been conducted in Chicago, New York City, Arizona, Texas, and in California.
Since declaring this mass deportation policy, many families who don’t have residential or citizenship status have been forced to talk about this saddening topic with their children or additional family members; what would happen if they were to get deported. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has also begun to distribute ‘red cards’ to help immigrant families be aware of their constitutional rights. The cards contain pieces of information from the 4th and 5th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. If any student or family member were to be questioned or detained by immigration officials, they are able to easily refer to the card and be aware of the rights they are entitled to in this country.
In response, many have shown their opposing opinions to Trump’s mass deportation policy by organizing protests and rallies. Dozens of protesters have rallied in Downtown L.A., Boyle Heights, and Fullerton to protest against Trump’s crackdown on immigrants. Many protesters walk the streets with a sense of pride, carrying posters with the words ‘no one is illegal on stolen land’, waving a variety of cultural flags, and shouting phrases and words expressing their political opposition. These protests also included many LAUSD students that have organized walkouts at their high schools and gathered together on the streets of Los Angeles to utilize their first amendment right to free speech. Some schools that have organized walkouts include South Gate High School, South East High School, Jordan High School, Bell High School, Huntington Park High School and many more.
In a time that freedom and equality are protected, President Trump’s plan threatens the same ideals this country was founded on, every man and woman has the right to life, liberty, and happiness. As we await further updates from the president and his cabinet, many people hope that justice will remain a central focus in the country, while others continue to support the policies set by the former president.
