Safety In Hudson County

Madison Hernandez

Picture this, waking up in the morning and heading to the bus stop for school. You feel calm and relaxed knowing that you’re going to school in an area far away from the bustling city into the quiet industrial campus setting that High Tech sits in. Walking into school, fear drifts away as you hear the everyday sounds of a high school knowing you are protected by the school staff and security. 

Many kids do not have this luxury in Hudson County though. Schools in more open neighborhoods like Jersey City and Bayonne have to look twice, especially with the presence of ICE in Hudson County. 

Roxy Rubin, a senior said, “I think the presence of ICE in Hudson County is excessive, they aren’t doing nearly as little as they claim their purpose is. They do way too much, harm families, and even the people around families. It scares people seeing these things second hand as well. I feel like High Tech implementing all these safety protocols will not only reduce ICE in students' lives, but will reduce the fear in student’s everyday lives. They can attend school knowing they are safe, unlike other schools. It would lead to a safe and secure environment in general.”

Senior Rime Nachath also has noticed the presence of ICE, “ (ICE) makes a lot of people in our community constantly on edge. You see it affecting our neighbors, friends, or even classmates worried about their friends and family. It feels secure knowing that High Tech takes active steps  to keep the campus secure and gives us a space to worry about education rather than about what is happening outside. I know some schools aren’t as fortunate. “

After hearing from our peers at High Tech, we now have a second hand viewpoint of how students feel about the safety protocols in High Tech  and how they offer a crucial sanctuary for its students, but the broader conversation around ICE enforcement across Hudson County remains a complex and deeply felt topic.