March 14, 2025
By Cal Gonzalez
Staff Writer
Following President Donald Trump’s signing of the Laken Riley Act on Jan. 29, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now conducting raids in previously protected spaces like medical facilities, places of worship and schools.
Named after a 22-year-old student who was killed by an undocumented immigrant in 2024, the law expands ICE’s authority to detain and deport undocumented immigrants charged with certain crimes. It also imposes penalties on jurisdictions that oppose ICE during its raids.
Senior Melissa Valencia said local authorities should resist these measures.
“[ICE raids] will cause more fear in the communities, and [immigrants] will not feel safe anymore,” Valencia said. “New Jersey is very diverse. This would make the people feel betrayed, divided and discriminated [against].”
Valencia said ICE’s tactics go too far.
“Targeting criminals is one thing, but detaining U.S. citizens only because they look Hispanic and Latino is another. These raids were never about who is undocumented and who isn’t. It is racially profiling a group of people,” Valencia said.
She said she supports alternatives to deportation.
“The president in charge should make it easier for them to get their citizenship and create more opportunities like programs for those who are waiting for their cases [to be processed],” Valencia said.
Senior Mia Galdamez said she believes safe spaces like churches, hospitals and schools are important and should not be violated by ICE raids.
“Children and parents should not have to fear going to school. Children should go for their education and solely that, not to worry about [whether] they will be able to make it throughout the day,” Galdamez said. “Churches are a place of trust and refuge. People will refuse to get the medical help they need because they don’t want to be caught.”
Galdamez said ICE arrests in these spaces negatively impact immigrant communities.
“Immigrants causing no harm to society are getting ripped apart from their lives simply for having a different background,” Galdamez said.
She said the raids make undocumented immigrants feel perpetually fearful.
“Children all of a sudden get separated from their families, causing them long-term instability and trauma. Families who depend on one person’s income and get deported have to deal with that economic struggle. It is hard to be a single parent, let alone to be in fear of getting deported,” Galdamez said.
Junior Noah Melendez said he supports the ICE raids.
“Children and parents should not have to fear going to school. Children should go for their education and solely that, not to worry about [whether] they will be able to make it throughout the day.”
“ICE conducting raids in these sorts of places is fine as long as they have the legal authority to complete these arrests,” Melendez said. “The raids themselves won’t… cause harm to communities, but the removal of illegal immigrants [may] lead to a small decrease in crime.”
Melendez said Trump’s administration is handling illegal immigration well.
“Enforcing immigration laws and securing the border will help national security and also restore law and order,” Melendez said.
History teacher Mr. Duus said the United States is a commonly desired destination for those who need or want to leave their home countries.
“The United States has, at many times in our history, been a beacon for immigrants. This has also been controversial because… the number of people who want to come to the United States at any given time might be more than our capacity to absorb,” Duus said.
He said issues relating to immigration have long been a source of controversy.
“At various times in American history, there has also been hostility towards certain groups of immigrants who were viewed as culturally different or incompatible, such as the Irish, Italians and Chinese in the 1800s or the Japanese in the early 1900s,” Duus said.
He said opponents to immigration are concerned about the potential it has to negatively impact housing, labor, national debt and wages. However, he said immigrants can also benefit the United States.
“There are also economic and social arguments that look at the [positive] role immigration plays in maintaining economic growth, the labor pool and programs like social security,” said Duus.
