The Impact of New Immigration Policies on the Masterman Community 

Since his 2015 campaign, President Donald Trump has prioritized strict immigration policies, advocating for mass deportation, stringent border policies, and reduced protections and rights for both legal and unauthorized immigrants. Trump has used his executive powers to remove protections and pathways for those seeking legal status in the U.S. while simultaneously increasing funding for the DHS (Department of Homeland Security), specifically ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Here in Philadelphia, Masterman students have first-hand accounts of how Trump’s policies have impacted their lives, families, friends, and communities. 

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law on July 4th of this year. The act’s impact on immigration has been enormous. It has dramatically expanded ICE’s budget to detain immigrants and build detention centers to $75 billion over the next four years. Additionally, three DHS oversight agencies were dismantled, further limiting the supervision and control of ICE’s actions. Trump's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, admits ICE has been given a quota of 3,000 arrests per day.  As a result, ICE has turned to arresting individuals with no criminal convictions, as well as raiding schools, hospitals, places of worship, and other sensitive areas. 

One student described the fear instilled by ICE’s new goals. With both parents being immigrants, their family has had to navigate everyday life while anticipating ICE raids and unpredictable danger. They shared, “There was a lot of fear going around, and my mom was scared to go out, so for a few months it was just my dad taking me and my sisters out […] we have a lot of commitments, so it was just very hard. We would have to go grocery shopping for her; it was a lot.” This sense of fear extends beyond immediate family. This student expressed concern for family living in Chicago, “With the national guard, there’s even more tension and fear. I talk to my cousin every day, and he tells me that it gets worse and worse as ICE is becoming more violent.”

Aside from targeting unauthorized immigrants, Trump revoked temporary legal status for over 1 million people. Including immigrants previously protected from deportation to unsafe countries and individuals with student visas, many of whom were arrested, detained, or deported due to their political speech. Further restrictions include banning U.S. travel for people from multiple countries, closing the southern border to asylum seekers, declaring a national border emergency, suspending the refugee admissions program, and attempting to revoke citizenship from some U.S.-born children of immigrants. 

Additionally, Trump has altered the already backlogged system of application for legal status by increasing fees and limiting the number of immigration judges, making it almost impossible for immigrants to gain legal status without waiting months between hearings. The impact of this reaches beyond U.S. borders, blocking opportunities for families to reconnect.  One student shared, “I have no cousins or aunts or anything who are blood related to me in America. One of my cousins from Sudan won the lottery to come to America, and right after that, Trump just canceled that entire policy.” Experiences like these highlight the targeting of immigrants seeking better lives in America. The student continued, “[The presidential administration] is too concerned about immigrants who are coming here with no intention to hurt Americans.”

  Many students reflected on the rise in anti-immigration sentiment.  The increase of blanket statements and generalizations has a tangible impact on students and their families. One student remarked, “Trump has no care for how what he says could affect certain groups of people.” Another student observed, “[The presidential administration] has been putting immigrants into a darker light and making people not trust them, and I feel like it is just discrimination for no reason.”

One student explained how new immigration policies can have devastating effects, even for American citizens. They described the experience of a mentor who lost her job, saying, “She works in a nonprofit organization helping immigrants coming into the country. So the immigration budget cuts and policies—she lost her job because of it.”

For sanctuary cities like Philadelphia that refuse to cooperate with the administration’s agenda, Trump and other political officials have threatened punitive measures. Officials in these cities have demonstrated strong political opposition against these threats, and nationwide protests have occurred to condemn the administration’s actions. Many students highlighted signs of protest and resistance among Philadelphians through rallies such as No Kings, engagement on social media, and local informant groups. A student noted that in immigrant communities, “There’s also a lot of unity going around […] There are groups that raise awareness and inform people.” These acts of defiance demonstrate how, despite heightened fear and violence, people have remained resilient, unified, and hopeful.