On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the next president. Almost immediately he began signing executive orders activating his agenda. At the top of this list was his plan to increase deportation of immigrants to around 1,200-1,500 per day. These deportations are performed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, also known as ICE. One of the ways ICE was “empowered” to enforce the quota was through a directive that allowed them to go into churches and schools to perform arrests. Two days after Trump’s election ICE had already deported 5,500 people, that’s an average of around 800 people daily. How might this aggressive deportation policy impact us here at The College Academy?
But before understanding what could happen to us, here at TCA we must first understand what ICE is. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement prides itself by removing any “aliens” or more humanely known as an immigrant without proper documents of being from the United States. They ensure this mission through three different measures by, ‘Homeland Security Investigations’ and ‘Enforcement and Removal Operations’ and finally through ‘Office of the Principal Legal Advisor’.
Learn about their ERO (Enforcement and Removal Operations) Here.
Learn about their HSI (Homeland Security Investigates) Here.
Learn about their OPLA (Office of Principal Legal Advisor) Here.
any people in our community have begun to question if ICE could come to schools. Even here at TCA teachers and students may wonder if ICE is even capable of coming here to our school.
Impact on TCA
In 2011 a policy had been written for ICE where its forces could not go to sensitive locations, such as a school. The policy had blocked ICE from going into schools and performing their own arrests and investigations but as of recently this has changed. In January 2025 the HSI/DHS had announced a new policy that replaced the policy from 2011 allowing ICE’s forces to be able to go to sensitive locations such as schools and churches. This new policy would indeed allow ICE to come onto the GWEC campus and perform investigations and arrests at TCA. So what would happen in the event that ICE does come to school? What would someone who’s documented or undocumented do? Well here at TCA administration has been preparing Red Cards to give out to students in the event they are stopped by ICE. What Red Cards do is remind anyone despite immigration status, to know their rights and how they may defend themselves against ICE. (These cards are on order and TCA has prepared to give out to students.) We can also see this practice in other schools where they prepare their students for an event where ICE does enter school. Here in Washington Heights it is unknown how many people have been deported but raids have for sure happened as we can know from this article here by TheCity, so it isn’t out of the question to see ICE here near our school with moves being taken here in the Heights.
Mood here at TCA in regards to ICE
In order to better understand the local impact of these new policies here at TCA, I sat down with three TCA students who have a personal connection to this issue. I interviewed these students about their legal status but they stated they were uncomfortable sharing that information because they believe it is sensitive, and are nervous and scared of ICE. Here are other questions that I asked the students related to this issue. (The following interview was translated into English from the interviewees first language of Spanish.)
TCA Heights: “What would you guys do in the event that ICE comes to our school?”
Student A: “I have a right to a lawyer”
Student B: “I wouldn’t answer questions that I don’t have too”
Student C: “I would cooperate with the police without saying anything”
TCA Heights: “Do you guys think ICE would perform any actual arrests on students?”
Student A: “No I don’t think so”
Student B: “Yes I also don’t think they would either”
Student C: “I believe that they would have to have a warrant signed by a judge to actually come into the school and arrest a student”
TCA Heights:“Do you guys know your rights that may protect you from an encounter with ICE?”
Student A: “I know my rights because I know I wouldn’t have to open my door without them having a judicial order to do so.”
Student B: “I know I wouldn’t have to answer any questions and they couldn’t arrest me for not answering these questions.”
TCA Heights: “If you are comfortable, what is your legal status of citizenship”
Student A: “I don’t feel comfortable”
Student B: “Neither do I”
Student C: “Me neither”
TCA Heights:“Has your lifestyle changed since a new administration has empowered ICE?”
Student A: “I think it has not changed much because I know they wouldn’t arrest us without actual proof of a crime”
Student C: “My lifestyle has changed because I believe that before all of this I was able to go outside and feel free but as of now I feel like as if I’m trapped at home and unable to do anything, and I feel very nervous to go to school”
So we can see that the air of uncertainty seen around the city is also found here at The College Academy. Some people feel confident that their rights will protect them, others in our school feel nervous about leaving their house. We will continue to follow this story as it develops.
For more information about individual rights please check out my colleagues’ article here.
