The Rollback of DEI
“Without these policies, many individuals—specifically African Americans—will face increased barriers in education, employment, and social growth. The absence of these policies would reverse what many civil rights leaders have long fought for.”
Over the past few weeks, everyone has been thinking about Elon Musk and Donald Trump and everything affecting us Americans. The truth is these local policies are affecting us in our local and marginalized communities the most. One of the most controversial policies that Trump and Musk are rolling back is related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
DEI initiatives have played a crucial role in expanding opportunities, fostering representation, and addressing systemic inequities. Without these policies, many individuals—specifically African Americans—will face increased barriers in education, employment, and social growth. The absence of these policies would reverse what many civil rights leaders have long fought for.
In the Bronx, which is known to have a vibrant immigrant population, recent ICE operations, with aggressive raids in the New York City metropolitan area, have heightened fears of people with undocumented families about whether they or their families will be broken up. These actions have created a climate of uncertainty in our schools and other places considered safe due to protective policies. Controversial moves made by Mayor Adam’s administration still have not settled the confusion going on in New York City. His most recent executive order allowed ICE agents to establish an office at Rikers Island to conduct raids at the prison. This sparked fierce criticism from immigrant advocacy groups and city council leaders, further deepening the divide between the government and the people it serves.
Critics have also pointed out that these ICE raids have led to the arrest of individuals with no significant criminal history. This contradicts the main focus of deporting immigrants with heightened criminal records. According to The CITY, “ICE has ramped up enforcement efforts in New York City, setting a daily quota of 75 arrests for local field offices. Within just a single week, over 100 people were detained in NYC, which has marked a significant escalation in federal crackdowns.”
Community organizations are also fighting back by offering mobilizing and legal support “know your rights’’ workshops aiming to empower immigrants with whatever resources or information to navigate the current environment.
I talked to Ms. Liani who is our Chief Academic Officer about her opinion on the strengthening of immigration policies by the Trump administration and she believes that living in a liberal state, she’s unsure how these policies will play out compared to conservative areas, noting that while local officials enforce laws, federal funding is also at risk if local government isn’t following the direction of the federal government. However, she does still expect the local and federal governments to coordinate with each other to come up with common ground.
Ms. Liani’s perspective highlights key tension between federal and local governments in the enforcement of immigration policies and rollback on DEI. Though New York is a liberal democratic state that has pushed back against strict federal immigration measures as a sanctuary city, it still faces the setbacks of losing federal funding if it doesn't comply. I don't believe that there will be common ground between New York and the current administration. There will most likely be more legal battles, public pushback from advocacy groups, and struggles between city leaders trying to keep sanctuary city status and the federal government forcing compliance from the city.
In my next article, I plan to meet with Diana Ayala. who is the Deputy Speaker and local city councilwoman, who represents our school district and community. I will be asking her a couple questions about where the city is moving towards. Stay tuned to hear her response and perspective.