Politics & Current Events

Illegal Immigration Continues to Challenge the United States 

By: Amelia Shivdayal    

               Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) is a Federal Law Enforcement Agency created in 2003 to handle interior enforcement, while Customs and Border Protection manages border security. In order to monitor foreign nationals, the U.S. government implemented strict immigration policy immediately. 

President Donald Trump increased funding to the agency by giving them more power to make more arrests of undocumented immigrants. ICE Agents were seen knocking on doors trying to execute court orders and forcing their way into homes. 

However, former President Barack Obama focused more on deportation of criminals and created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to protect young undocumented individuals from deportation and provide them with renewable two-year work permits.

 There has been mass outrage of ICE action in cities across America through organized protests and  marches. The people are asking for intervention from public officials like Mayor Mamdani and Senator Schumer to protect the citizens of New York City from ICE agents entering NYC schools and removing students . On March 18, 2023 reporter Ida Siegel from NBC covered the story of the NYC High School student Dylan Contreras taken into custody by ICE agents for entering the country illegally; he spent 10 months in a detention center.

On the other hand, there is strong support for ICE deployment across the country  because of the influx of migrants that enter the country. Some supporters feel that illegal migrants are taking jobs away from Americans and using government funded programs for food and shelter.

              ICE Agents were seen outside of home improvement stores which are “sensitive locations” for mass raids. Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor for the Trump Administration, directed ICE officials to target day laborers. Additionally, some families are scared to show up for immigration hearings fearing deportation and separation from families. In Miami, Florida Jose Aguilar showed up for a regular appointment and was detained by immigration and separated from his wife Jessica Rodriguez Aguilar and his young child.

The "culture of fear" is on the rise with communities living in a state of high stress, with residents avoiding basic activities like grocery shopping or seeking medical care to minimize detention risk.