By Kara Ennis & Dom Williams, opinion editor & editor-in-chief
America has long been known as “the land of the free,” where people can come to make a better life for themselves. But with recent deportation executive orders passed by President Trump, many people are wondering where that line of freedom is drawn.
What is happening?
Within his first week in office, President Trump passed numerous acts regarding immigration and deportation policies, most notably an act giving ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) the freedom to make arrests in schools, churches and hospitals. This act has caused an uproar among many Americans as these public places have been safe havens for immigrants for years, regardless of legal status.
Many people find it unfair that ICE has the power to come into a place where people are supposed to feel safe. Others feel that immigrants who have not become legal citizens should be detained regardless of where they are.
Retired Marine and DEA agent Paul Ramirez, who has been stationed all over the southwest U.S. near the border, sees both sides.
“Spending as much time as I have working near the border and even in Mexico, I understand both sides of the argument. On one hand, you have to have people coming in legally. That doesn’t apply just to America but to every country around the world. It’s important to welcome immigrants in, but it’s also important to know who exactly they are and make sure they are going about things the right way. Immigrants do work really hard here in America. They work hard at physical jobs, many that Americans themselves don’t want to do. They help contribute to our society in a huge way, but some of them exploit the American system by trying to sneak in, and it really boils down to the leadership in other countries. Other countries don’t take care of their citizens, and they allow people to live in poverty, and that’s where the fault really lies,” Mr. Ramirez said.
Could this happen in Greenwood?
With this topic becoming such a large national matter, it can be hard to envision this issue reaching a small town like Greenwood. However, as scary as it may be for immigrants, this deportation threat reaches all corners of the country, Greenwood included. Especially being on the outskirts of a large city like Indianapolis, Greenwood and its surrounding towns all have diverse populations. This raises the question: what if something like this happened in our town or even in our school?
“Right now we are treating it like we do any of our other local services like DCS (Department of Child Services) and our police department. If an immigration officer shows up, we are going to treat them like any other police officer when they come with a warrant. We will ask for identification, see what they want and go forward from there. We would check with our attorney just like we normally so to make sure we are compliant and doing what we have to do, but we are going to abide by the law,” Dr. Terry Terhune, superintendent, said.
Should anyone panic?
Some major news sources obviously present information with political bias, inciting panic for communities of immigrants. Dr. Terhune wants students to know that Greenwood is still a safe place.
“We have had some parents reach out and ask if their kids were safe at school. Our response has been yes. They are safe at school. They are safe on the bus. What we try to convey to them is that we have not had anybody — police, ICE or other organizations — reach out to us and tell us that they were coming. We have not seen it locally within schools in our county. We feel that school is a good and safe place for everybody to be,” he said.
Are any of our students afraid?
Most students will never have to experience the fear of deportation or the safety of their family members. However, this situation is real for some students.
“We have had some kids who will talk to teachers about it. One of my goals is that every student here has someone they feel comfortable talking to and safe with. We have ELL teachers who have students who talk very openly. They hear things at home and come to ask about it at school. We are reassuring them they are safe here and that we will do our best to protect them, but we also have to abide by the law,” Dr. Terhune said.
The worry that has come from the situation has affected students’ daily lives as some are constantly afraid of what could happen to not only them but people they know. The policies have impacted their studies, family lives, work, etc.
“A lot of kids are scared of what they are going to do if ICE comes here. Some of the things these students are experiencing may not be as far as being threatened by ICE but in ways that the community treats them and policies that are being put into place. There is already a language barrier which makes their studies harder, but the fear makes it even harder to focus. Some students have family members who are at risk, which makes them fearful. They know friends and family who are being sent back, and they are going day-by-day living in fear,” Mrs. Angela Jones, ELL teacher, said.
Shouldn’t they just become legal?
An argument commonly brought up is that these immigrants should just enter the US legally.
Governments need to keep track of who is and is not a citizen in order to keep people safe. However, becoming an American citizen is often easier said than done. Citizenship courses can be free but can cost up to $200. The application runs $710-$760.
“Becoming a citizen in America requires a lot of time. There are a lot of processes that immigrants have to go through and applications. They have to be able to read and write in English and understand America’s laws, so most of them have to take courses in citizenship. Some come here on an immigrant visa and legally acquire a green card that allows them to live here while applying for citizenship. Eventually, they are approved, and, then, they take an oath of allegiance,” Mr. Rick Guipe, government teacher, said.
Another controversial aspect regarding citizenship is the fact that anyone born in the U.S. has been granted citizenship, regardless of their parents’ status. This birthright citizenship. This may not be the case soon.
“Trump has tried to get that rule revoked before but has run into troubles with it. He doesn’t have the power to make that happen himself, so I doubt anything will happen to change that soon,” Mr. Guipe said.
