Beyond the Border: ICE in the USA
Students, even those born in the United States, carry the emotional weight of their loved ones being detained by ICE. Despite this, our communities continue to support one another, organizing protests, and speaking out against fear and silence.
“When my mom leaves for work I'm scared she won't come back”, said a Bronx student. For many students in immigrant communities this fear has become a sad daily reality. Over the past years, reports of ICE detaining not only adults but teenagers and kids too, has created anxiety for families and students alike.
In recent months, multiple cases have shown how ICE can directly impact young people, including students with legal status and even children returning home from school. These events have intensified fear within communities, especially students who worry about their parents while trying to focus on school. This really impacts their mental health and how they show up at school. This fear does not stay at home; it follows them to school affecting their mental health, academic performance and sense of safety. For this article we interviewed four people affected by ICE enforcement to examine how immigration enforcement is shaping the lives of students and families in the Bronx.
A lot of people in our community are at risk of being detained, since really anybody can be detained at this point. Our voices are being shut down and not being heard. Still, many teens are putting themselves out there to shut ICE down and protect their parents. Although they are always put in danger when protesting, it's heartbreaking to see the news when teens or other protesters are being shot, detained, or injured.
For example, there was a teenager that got shot in their eye with a fake gun that ICE agents used, and that teen was left with major injuries inside his head. And that happened just because he was speaking up for others. And yet, people will not back down when hearing things like that. They will get louder. They will stop hiding in fear and speak in defense of our families so that our parents do not have to run or hide. We all want our families close.
Even families with legal status are not immune to fear. A student explained how ICE didn’t affect him directly but how it has affected the people closest to him. “I wouldn’t say ICE affected me directly,” he said, “but it has affected the people around me, such as my stepfather.”
Although his stepfather is from the Dominican Republic and is now a U.S citizen, the fear remains: “There’s still a chance they might try to take him away, even though he already has citizenship.” His experience shows how fear is still present even when his parents have legal status. These days, even following the law doesn’t bring peace of mind.
For many students, ICE’s presence has changed everyday life in their neighborhoods. A student described seeing ICE officers in areas like Hunts Point and Pelham Bay: “You can see ICE around and it will scare my friends; they don’t want to go out or they just don’t go to school.”
This fear has disrupted students’ routines and made ordinary activities such as going to class or spending time with friends feel dangerous. As a result some students miss school, fall behind academically or isolate themselves. This student also explained how it affected her family directly: "It's affected my family in a negative way because my mom has been trying to get papers, but they denied her because of Trump, and now my mom doesn't have a safe way to get papers”.
This stress has become constant, especially when their mother sees law enforcement: “Everytime she sees any type of military people or police or anything, she texts me asking for emotional support even though I am just a kid, just a student.”
This fear has become very extreme to the point that even teenagers feel the need to protect themselves. One student said, “It's crazy to think that a teenager has to bring their passport around just to feel safe.” Carrying identification has become a way teenagers will keep themselves from getting detained. This student has found strength through online communities. “Somthing that has helped me stay strong through this experience is probably my mom and social media because there are a lot of protests going on about going against ICE.” Seeing others speak out has helped him feel less alone.
For parents, ICE enforcement has led to life changing decisions. A parent shared how fear has become part of her daily routine: “If it affects us, one is always walking with fear.”
Many people in her community are afraid to go to work, attend appointments or travel freely. “The people are scared; they don’t want to work because of fear.” According to the parents, the pressure has pushed many families to consider leaving the country they work so hard in: “This has affected me a lot because one wants to return to our countries because of everything that is happening.”
They also explained that ICE has deeply affected their family: “Yes it affected me a lot to the point of waiting to return to my country with children.” They continued: “The situation is very complicated because my children were born here.” They told us that their “”plans have changed,” and that they are “tired and afraid.” “I already want to go back to my country,” they said. This parent’s words reflected how ICE forces parents to choose between safety and stability.
Many people in the Bronx feel at risk of being detained, especially because a lot of people have been getting detained or killed by ICE. Students, even those born in the United States, carry the emotional weight of their loved ones being detained by ICE. Despite this, our communities continue to support one another, organizing protests, and speaking out against fear and silence. Fear may arrive quietly through letters or phone calls, but silence will not protect families. By sharing these stories, we hope to shed light on how ICE enforcement continues to destroy and harm lives beyond the border.