While the country rapidly implements new immigration policies, Pace High School keeps its stance on being a safe space for all students, citizens and not.
The United States is currently facing an uproar due to the second presidential term of Donald J. Trump. One of his first major executive orders is the complete removal of all undocumented immigrants by mass deportation.
Due to this concern, all students, including students at Pace, are fearful of what’s to come.
“I just get scared. You know, even now, seeing police officers gets me scared because I’m like, what if they’re like working with them,” said an anonymous undocumented student at Pace.
“Any moment like it could either be me or my family,” the student said. “I have to carry my ID just so I can prove to them that I’m a I’m a citizen here.”
Pace and the two other schools in the building, Emma Lazarus and M.S. 131, have reassured students’ safety with strict protocols that will be enforced in case of an emergency.
Assistant Principal Mr. Chong held school-wide meetings with all staff members to communicate the necessary actions to take in the event of any unauthorized law enforcement presence.
“The members of this school have come all together as a building response team,” Mr. Chong said. “And we have come up with some measures that we have agreed upon as a standardized protocol when we have to deal with ICE in case that time ever comes that they do show up.”
In March, the Trump administration invoked major immigration policies and budget cuts to multiple programs within the government. Thousands students across America have been affected by these changes. Immigrants have been deported without due process. American kids with undocumented parents have been deported. American citizens have been detained by ICE.
Students and faculty in New York City are worried about what these new policies mean and how they will affect the future.
The Trump administration has cut multiple programs that helped immigrants gain legal status and safely get their papers. Former President Joe Biden presented a Temporary Protected Status in early 2023 for migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and other countries that face climate issues, war, or social corruption.
The TPS program allowed migrants to legally stay in the United States for two years or longer if they found other ways to stay. Migrants under TPS were legally authorized to work in the U.S. and were protected from deportation.
Biden had also implemented the CBP App on Oct. 28, 2020. This app was created to allow millions to safely set appointments at border claims and submit their information for their papers. Millions of migrants used the app to get their legal status and set their appointments.
NBC Chicago reported that with the CPB App, about 280,000 people were competing for 1,450 slots daily.
Since President Trump has significantly cut funding for these processes or completely removed these programs, many migrants who are here under protection are worried about their current status in the United States.
The New York Times reported on a memo signed by Kristi Noem, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, stating that the government will allow for immediate deportation, even if they have a legal status.
Contrary to statements made before winning the presidential election, President Trump has allowed the deportation of all undocumented migrants, including people who have not broken the law.
A student from the High School for Law and Public Service in Manhattan has experienced ICE surrounding his school.
“I was in the second period when the news that ICE agents were downstairs sent fear through the hallways,” the student said. “Later I learned that the ICE agents were not there for us, but for the elementary school next to us.”
This is one of many incidents around New York City. Many students are scared to continue going to school, hiding at home instead of continuing their education due to their fear of deportation.
Students do not just feel the weight of their own safety. There is also a major concern for families members who are undocumented.
Liora from Queens High School for the Sciences at York said, “I have seen ICE police officers around my neighborhood, or at least I thought it was them, and it just gets me so paranoid sometimes that I even mistake the school security as ICE.”
Liora’s grandmother is undocumented and tried to file proper papers for legalize her status during the Biden administration. “She tried coming here legally, and she tried to get her papers,” Liora said, “but Trump is threatening to remove those options, so I fear for her.”
Pace’s faculty has worked to ensure that school is a safe and secure place for all students. 10th and 11th-grade teacher, Ms. Mornhinweg, spoke to Pacer NYC about what the school has done to inform the faculty.
“At the union meeting right after Trump got elected, we talked about DOE policies, what ICE is and isn’t allowed to do,” Ms. Mornhinweg said. “We talked about what a sanctuary city is, how fragile that designation is and what it really means. There are contradictions between the term sanctuary city and the realities about what is allowed to happen in New York City.”
Ms. Mornhinweg and many other teachers have worked together to create information cards to hand out to students. These cards have information on what to do if ICE shows up at your doorstep and the legal rights that everyone has.
“I do have experience with students who are impacted by the new immigration laws, and people are really scared,” Ms. Mornhinweg said. “Other students are not so fearful. I don’t want to put words in anybody’s mouth, but there’s a variety of emotional responses to these new policies.”
People who are in danger of deportation should be reassured that Pace is a safe place for all students, documented and undocumented.
If you need more information about your rights or what to say if ICE approaches you, please go to ilrc.org
