I remember in 2016, when President Donald Trump was first elected, the world felt different; things didn’t feel as happy as they felt when Barack Obama was President. It felt like people had lost all hope they had for the future. I went to school that day and all the teachers were crying and telling students they were sorry. I couldn’t understand why the teachers were apologizing.
It felt like a day of endless confusion. All day, people talked about how bad this was for the future, but I couldn’t vote then, so why would it matter? Years later, when I finally got to vote, I understood those tears. I understood that feeling of hopelessness and the lack of faith I had in America,
In the last nine years, the world has seen how much politics matters. We’ve seen riots on Capitol Hill, paper towels being thrown at hurricane survivors and a convicted felon becoming the president. Now we must ask ourselves, how does this foreshadow what will come in the next four years, and what can we expect?
For Trump’s upcoming term, he has promised mass deportations to “get rid of” undocumented migrants and promised to use military assets to do so. During Trump’s campaign runs in 2015, 2019 and 2024, he expressed an extreme hatred for immigrants and promised to build a wall at the border to prevent people from immigrating to America illegally.
On Jan. 18, student affairs sent an email to students about what to do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) came to campus, along with resources for undocumented student support.
“We sent a message directly to all students with a link to information on what to do in the event ICE comes to campus, and the letter outlined resources available to all students. Beyond that, we can not speculate but continue to monitor for any developments,” according to a statement provided by Jami Kunzer to the Northern Star.
On Jan. 20, President Trump signed an executive order that he claims is “protecting the American people against invasion.” On the official White House website, the president takes a bold stance against illegal immigration into America, stating that the federal government will be executing the immigration laws of the United States by forcefully removing illegal aliens.
In his efforts to stop people from illegally entering the U.S., Trump has promised to continue building the wall at the southern border, preventing illegal immigrants from entering America. Trump has also promised to end asylum for illegal border crossers and enhance the vetting/screening of aliens.
People who have built a home here are being thrown out with no place to go. Most people who immigrate to America are just looking for a fresh start and are hoping that America can provide the support they need to begin a new life. Trump’s executive order seems to do the opposite: It makes people afraid to live the lives that they’ve always dreamed of, and it forces them out of their homes and into homelessness in another country.
Trump’s policies and rhetoric are hateful and dangerous and force people to live in fear of what is to come next.
