Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE has increased the number of raids and arrests of people suspected of breaking immigration laws. ICE reported making 593 arrests on Friday, Jan. 24 and 538 on Thursday, Jan. 23. These actions are part of a bigger strategy to strictly enforce immigration laws.
The use of armed forces to aid in deportation activities is one aspect of the most recent escalation. Notably, military cargo planes have been used to carry migrants in shackles, a technique that hasn’t been used since the Eisenhower administration. Images released by the White House show people being taken onboard C-17 planes while wearing waist belts and having their wrists chained. This strategy demonstrates the administration’s dedication to upholding immigration regulations.
Immigrant communities are now feeling anxious and afraid as a result of the removal of the prohibition of immigration arrests at places of worship, schools and hospitals through executive action. Also, teachers aren’t required to provide ICE with student’s personal information. Schools often need a judicial warrant before ICE officers can access student records or enter school property. Also, schools are not allowed to share student records without the parent’s permission under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act FERPA unless the agents have a subpoena or court order.
Due to the possibility of arrest, families are rethinking their decision to take their kids to school. Concerns have been raised by advocates and educators that these actions could interfere with the education and general welfare of immigrant children.
These raids affect the larger community in addition to the immediate arrests. For example, in 2018, after a major ICE raid in Tennessee, more than 500 Hispanic students in a nearby community skipped school the following day due to fear.
“These raids invoke so much fear because they’re going to want to fight back, making the ICE officers use force on them,” senior Ashley Murillo said. “Communities that rely heavily upon immigrants to get work done will start to fall apart.”
The recent ICE raids are anticipated to impact the U.S. labor force. Businesses that mostly depend on foreign labor, such as construction, agriculture and hospitality, may experience a severe labor shortage. This could result in operational difficulties, higher personnel expenses and project delays. According to economists, these labor interruptions could slow economic growth and make it more difficult to control inflation.
Senior Daniel Castro-Salinas believes that the deportations and raids will have an impact on the labor industry.
“For example, SB 1718 was a law passed in Florida in 2023 mainly aimed at undocumented immigrants,” Castro-Salinas said. “Which in effect makes them and their families and communities suddenly unsafe and unable to go about their daily lives.”
Murillo highlighted the unfairness that families encounter when attempting to provide their kids with better possibilities.
“It’s not fair they work 9-5 jobs to provide for their families,” Murillo said. “Yet they’re getting kicked out for trying to give their kids the opportunities they deserve.”
People’s lives get more difficult when such laws are passed.
“Additionally, according to a report from the University of South Florida,” Castro-Salinas said. “79% of respondents perceive life as more difficult since the law’s enactment, concerns about family separation, restricted access to essential services such as healthcare, and growing job instability,”
Despite the administration’s insistence that these operations are essential for maintaining national security and enforcing immigration laws, the ensuing climate of anxiety and uncertainty highlights the difficult tasks that come with immigration enforcement.
“They might feel a short-term relief from what’s happening but only time will tell,” Murillo said.
