Undocumented students continue to fear for their safety amidst the turmoil that President Trump's previous immigration ban has caused. This time, they are worried for their parents and the threat of deportation that looms above them.
The concerns about the safety of undocumented students under the Trump administration heightened when DREAMer Daniel Ramirez, who was supposed to be protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program of the Obama administration, was arrested last month. He was threatened with deportation and detained by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Feb. 10.
Undocumented students also expressed their worry about not being able to finish their studies before they are deported. However, Virginia's Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe said that he was assured by President Trump himself that the current administration will not end the DACA program.
Now, undocumented students are worried for their parents who could be deported. Speaking to KTAR News, Ezequiel Santos, a young immigrant who is protected by the DACA program, said that he feels uneasy knowing that there are still a lot of undocumented immigrants who are at risk of deportation including his parents.
Santos arrived in the U.S. when he was 2 years old. Under the DACA program, he was able to work and attend a local community college.
Arizona State University student Vasthy Lamadrid also expressed her concern about the threat of deportation for her parents. As mentioned earlier, President Trump will not be rescinding the DACA program but he has made it clear that he will ramp up deportations of undocumented immigrants.
The New York Times reported that President Trump has signed the new executive order that blocks citizens from six countries from entering the U.S. He has continued to impose a 90-day ban on travelers but has removed Iraq from the banned list of countries.
Previously, the banned countries were Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. This led to universities urging international students to forego travel temporarily.
