The President’s campaign was built around anti-immigration and pro-wall rhetoric. While many of his campaign trail promises have failed to materialize, his repeated threats of massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and deportations have had devastating consequences for many Texas residents. 

In the last two years, the number of arrests and removals by ICE increased. 

ICE arrested nearly 300 immigrants in Collin County in the largest ICE raid ever conducted several months ago. And it seems that no one is safe.

Thanks to Executive Order 13768, the Trump administration is targeting immigrants without regard to the length of time they’ve lived in the U.S., their familial and economic ties and in some cases, their citizenship.

The looming possibilities of arrest, imprisonment, deportation and separation from family exhaust and terrify immigrant communities.

Immigrants are avoiding public places, refusing medical care and declining to report crime. 

Families are making emergency plans in case a parent or guardian is suddenly deported, leaving loved ones behind. 

Communities and families across Texas are living in fear. 

In this forum, Austin immigration attorney Diego Cervantes discusses the impact of ICE raids on his clients and the Latino community as a whole. 

Chemistry sophomore Samuel Ma describes his experience visiting a border facility, encouraging students to take action in order to reverse these startling trends.

As always, if you have any thoughts on this topic or any other, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].