Anger. Anxiety. Depression. Fear. This is what many children and teens have been feeling across the nation since President Donald Trump’s administration took office and put forth their fascist agenda.
Children of immigrants are constantly worried, wondering if their parents will come home from work or not. They are worried that if they are taken, they will never see them again, or worse.
Apart from that, the children themselves are being violently tackled and arrested in the streets. This has been especially apparent in Minnesota.
This is sickening and unacceptable. Kids shouldn’t have to worry about these things. They should be happy in school with their friends.
They should be stress-free when they are with their families. They should absolutely not have to worry about their parent’s safety.
Shame on this administration for implementing so much fear in the children of hard-working immigrants. Shame on this administration for tackling these same kids at peaceful protests.
Shame on this administration for being the reason these kids face mental health issues. Shame on this administration for their abominable behavior.
Because of this administration, two young girls have taken their lives: Jocelynn Rojo Carranza and Gabriela Aparicio Ortega.
Carranza, who was 11 years old, was constantly bullied and taunted at school because of her family’s immigration status. The kids at her school told her they were going to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on her parents to take them away from her. Unacceptable. That type of behavior is learned at home from parents.
A few weeks later, the same thing happened to 13-year-old Ortega. The immigration situation was stressful for her, in addition to getting bullied.
Another 5-year-old was a recent victim of this Nazi-like organization: Liam Conejo Ramos. He and his father were detained coming back from school. He was even used as bait to lure his mother out the house by ICE; however, she was advised to not open the door.
Look up his name. Look at his outfit when he was detained. What about a blue bunny hat and Spiderman backpack screams criminal?
Since being in the ICE detention facility in Texas, Liam has been depressed and sick, because of the conditions of the facility. He also is eager to go back to school and wondering where his bunny hat that the agents took is.
The Trump administration’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies are the reason so many kids of immigrants, and immigrants themselves, are experiencing increasing levels of anxiety and depression. No one wants to live in fear, and no one should.
If something is not done, and because of the way this administration is moving, there may be more Anne-Frank-like diaries written soon, and more boys in striped pajamas.
