Documenting Stories of Cruelty, Fear, and Resilience

A split illustration of two students sitting in a desk chair.

Teaching Through Fear

A public school educator describes the overwhelming fear in their class of second graders, and the added stress this puts on a high-needs, under-resourced school.

I am a special education teacher working at a Title I school with a high immigrant population. We have lost a few families who either stopped coming to school or claimed that they moved. The father of one of our students and a paraeducator was reportedly detained by ICE. But the details cannot be reliably confirmed because everyone is afraid to speak out.

There is overwhelming fear in our class of second graders. It puts undue stress on a school with high needs, which is already lacking resources. Many of our community members also work at the school, and we do not want to lose them because they are afraid of being detained or split apart from family members.

I feel that I can speak up for others without fear for my own personal safety. But it makes me angry and in a state of disbelief that others can have so much ignorance of the blatant disregard for civil rights.

I am a special education teacher working at a Title I school with a high immigrant population. We have lost a few families who either stopped coming to school or claimed that they moved. The father of one of our students and a paraeducator was reportedly detained by ICE. But the details cannot be reliably confirmed because everyone is afraid to speak out.

There is overwhelming fear in our class of second graders. It puts undue stress on a school with high needs, which is already lacking resources. Many of our community members also work at the school, and we do not want to lose them because they are afraid of being detained or split apart from family members.

I feel that I can speak up for others without fear for my own personal safety. But it makes me angry and in a state of disbelief that others can have so much ignorance of the blatant disregard for civil rights.

An illustration of a student walking down a hall of lockers with shadows of two other students in between.

Empty Classrooms, Full of Fear

A special education teacher faces nearly empty classrooms as parents and children fear coming to school.

I am a special education teacher at a school in a large city with many new-to-country students and children of immigrants. Since Inauguration Day, students have increasingly asked me questions like, 鈥淐an ICE come to school?鈥� and 鈥淲hat happens if ICE comes here?鈥� We know that students who do not feel safe or secure struggle to learn, and I worry for their growth because they deserve to learn. I dread potentially coming to school and finding one of my students no longer there. I also worry for my kids, that they might go home to an empty home one day.

The day after ICE raids were reported in the city, many students stayed home. I did not see one student for a whole week. Students are dysregulated and scared. On the 鈥淒ay Without Immigrants,鈥� I had three students in my class. It was so apparent how immigrants and children of immigrants make my school and classroom better.

I am a special education teacher at a school in a large city with many new-to-country students and children of immigrants. Since Inauguration Day, students have increasingly asked me questions like, 鈥淐an ICE come to school?鈥� and 鈥淲hat happens if ICE comes here?鈥� We know that students who do not feel safe or secure struggle to learn, and I worry for their growth because they deserve to learn. I dread potentially coming to school and finding one of my students no longer there. I also worry for my kids, that they might go home to an empty home one day.

The day after ICE raids were reported in the city, many students stayed home. I did not see one student for a whole week. Students are dysregulated and scared. On the 鈥淒ay Without Immigrants,鈥� I had three students in my class. It was so apparent how immigrants and children of immigrants make my school and classroom better.

An illustration of a person with their hands handcuffed behind their back.

Fighting to Survive聽

An advocate for human-trafficking survivors explains how new immigration laws are putting people in danger and stoking fear in the community.

I work with victims and survivors of human trafficking. We have seen clients targeted by law enforcement. Many foreign-born clients come to the U.S. legally but are then exploited for cheap labor. Often, they have their visas, passports, or other documentation taken from them, and are made to work in deplorable conditions. Traffickers use fear tactics to keep their victims working, saying things such as, "I will report you to law enforcement since you are now here illegally because you have overstayed your visa," or "I will hurt you and your family if you don't do what you're told."

Our program is now worried about telling clients they should report these crimes. In the past, the FBI would not ask for immigration status, but with executive orders happening so quickly, we are fearful of giving information to non-citizen victims of trafficking, in case we put them in further danger.

I work with victims and survivors of human trafficking. We have seen clients targeted by law enforcement. Many foreign-born clients come to the U.S. legally but are then exploited for cheap labor. Often, they have their visas, passports, or other documentation taken from them, and are made to work in deplorable conditions. Traffickers use fear tactics to keep their victims working, saying things such as, "I will report you to law enforcement since you are now here illegally because you have overstayed your visa," or "I will hurt you and your family if you don't do what you're told."

Our program is now worried about telling clients they should report these crimes. In the past, the FBI would not ask for immigration status, but with executive orders happening so quickly, we are fearful of giving information to non-citizen victims of trafficking, in case we put them in further danger.

An illustration depicting the scales of justice with one person inside a scale and another dangling off one.

Liberty and Justice -- For Some

A Title I elementary school teacher fears for students and their families, and plans ways to help if ICE raids the school.

I am a teacher at a Title I elementary school with a high population of Hispanic students. They are what make our school the beautifully diverse place that it is. Our Hispanic parents are always volunteering. They lead our PTA and attend classes on strategies to help their students learn to read.

The feeling of fear that creeps through the halls is unsettling. How are students supposed to learn if they do not feel safe? How do I tell them everything will be okay when I don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 true? If all of these students are forced to leave, what will that mean for the other students? How much mental health support will they need to sit in the same desks and walk the same halls their friends used to walk?

My sense of security is almost nonexistent. I am driving to work each day planning on what I will say or do if ICE shows up or if a student contacts me and says that their parents have been taken. And yet, every morning we start our school day pushing worry aside, and through gritted teeth, we utter the words 鈥渨ith liberty and justice for all.鈥�

I am a teacher at a Title I elementary school with a high population of Hispanic students. They are what make our school the beautifully diverse place that it is. Our Hispanic parents are always volunteering. They lead our PTA and attend classes on strategies to help their students learn to read.

The feeling of fear that creeps through the halls is unsettling. How are students supposed to learn if they do not feel safe? How do I tell them everything will be okay when I don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 true? If all of these students are forced to leave, what will that mean for the other students? How much mental health support will they need to sit in the same desks and walk the same halls their friends used to walk?

My sense of security is almost nonexistent. I am driving to work each day planning on what I will say or do if ICE shows up or if a student contacts me and says that their parents have been taken. And yet, every morning we start our school day pushing worry aside, and through gritted teeth, we utter the words 鈥渨ith liberty and justice for all.鈥�

An illustration of two hands reaching for one another.

A Dangerous Cycle聽

A U.S. citizen with naturalized parents has seen first-hand the effects of Trump's racist policies.

My family and I used to live in a Midwest town with a more than 50-percent Latino population and many immigrants from various countries. Recently, ICE was spotted waiting outside one of the elementary schools, and the administration had to call all the parents to say not to pick up their children until ICE left because they would be in danger.

Trump's policies strengthen and promote racist ideals. My family and I moved to a nearby 90-percent white, Republican, small community during Trump's first presidency and were followed by police for no reason and harassed by our neighbors. Even though my parents have been naturalized citizens for 21 years and all of us children were born here, we have had to worry about being racially profiled.

I am concerned for the safety of innocent children who are being separated from their parents. I am concerned for the increasing dehumanization of living human beings I see across this country. I feel that I have to be careful now with whatever I do. Even with my U.S. birth, I am unsettled with the thought of being targeted by ICE.

My family and I used to live in a Midwest town with a more than 50-percent Latino population and many immigrants from various countries. Recently, ICE was spotted waiting outside one of the elementary schools, and the administration had to call all the parents to say not to pick up their children until ICE left because they would be in danger.

Trump's policies strengthen and promote racist ideals. My family and I moved to a nearby 90-percent white, Republican, small community during Trump's first presidency and were followed by police for no reason and harassed by our neighbors. Even though my parents have been naturalized citizens for 21 years and all of us children were born here, we have had to worry about being racially profiled.

I am concerned for the safety of innocent children who are being separated from their parents. I am concerned for the increasing dehumanization of living human beings I see across this country. I feel that I have to be careful now with whatever I do. Even with my U.S. birth, I am unsettled with the thought of being targeted by ICE.

An illustration of an individuals with their head down and overwhelmed at a desk.

Beyond Burnout

An immigration lawyer tries to find new ways to help friends, family, and community members, but continues to fear for their safety.

I am beyond burnt out. Working in immigration law, I am continuously trying to find new ways to help my community yet still feel helpless with it all. I had a friend detained who is traumatized for life and was held under deplorable, inhumane conditions. I [married] my now-husband in January, instead of waiting for our planned wedding because...the fear of him being stripped away from the country he鈥檚 paid taxes to for over a decade was so imminent.

Everybody is so scared. Racist remarks have become so much louder as people feel at ease expressing them. Church friends are asking me about power of attorney in case they and their husbands both get detained, and the kids are left on their own. I fear for my family, neighbors, friends, and my community as a whole. As a natural-born citizen, I fear for my own rights.

I am beyond burnt out. Working in immigration law, I am continuously trying to find new ways to help my community yet still feel helpless with it all. I had a friend detained who is traumatized for life and was held under deplorable, inhumane conditions. I [married] my now-husband in January, instead of waiting for our planned wedding because...the fear of him being stripped away from the country he鈥檚 paid taxes to for over a decade was so imminent.

Everybody is so scared. Racist remarks have become so much louder as people feel at ease expressing them. Church friends are asking me about power of attorney in case they and their husbands both get detained, and the kids are left on their own. I fear for my family, neighbors, friends, and my community as a whole. As a natural-born citizen, I fear for my own rights.

An individual in a classroom looking out at an open entranceway.

No Due Process. No Rights

A teacher considers how the Trump administration's policies threaten to deny students their basic rights.

I haven鈥檛 been able to sleep since these policies have [passed.] I can barely eat; I feel so sick. I teach and I need to protect my students. I am afraid for my community and afraid for the safety of those around me...I have no trust that our government will keep people safe.

The government has passed laws that invite mass deportation without a trial. The Laken Riley Act, which mandates indefinite detainment and possible deportation for those just accused, is a crime against humanity. No due process, no right to a judge. So many innocent people can be destroyed using this law...Students are afraid of being accused of crimes they did not commit. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are supposed to be protected, but under this law, [people could be] detained indefinitely.

Almost everyone I know who is aware of this law and the other deportation legislation is sick over it. The only people that aren鈥檛 outraged are the ones that don鈥檛 know it鈥檚 happening. I believe that the people who prioritize human rights vastly outnumber those who would put innocent people in detention over accusations. I will never stop fighting this as long as this unconstitutional law stands, and I know I鈥檓 not alone.

I haven鈥檛 been able to sleep since these policies have [passed.] I can barely eat; I feel so sick. I teach and I need to protect my students. I am afraid for my community and afraid for the safety of those around me...I have no trust that our government will keep people safe.

The government has passed laws that invite mass deportation without a trial. The Laken Riley Act, which mandates indefinite detainment and possible deportation for those just accused, is a crime against humanity. No due process, no right to a judge. So many innocent people can be destroyed using this law...Students are afraid of being accused of crimes they did not commit. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are supposed to be protected, but under this law, [people could be] detained indefinitely.

Almost everyone I know who is aware of this law and the other deportation legislation is sick over it. The only people that aren鈥檛 outraged are the ones that don鈥檛 know it鈥檚 happening. I believe that the people who prioritize human rights vastly outnumber those who would put innocent people in detention over accusations. I will never stop fighting this as long as this unconstitutional law stands, and I know I鈥檓 not alone.

An illustration of an individual staring down at a welcome mat that has been torn in half.

Broken Hearted and Daunted

A person working in refugee resettlement shares how the federal government鈥檚 cuts and attacks on this aid program are damaging our nation鈥檚 core belief that we must welcome the stranger.

I have worked in the refugee resettlement and immigration field for more than 10 years now, serving both locally and as a funder. It is breaking my heart to see people in resettlement losing their jobs again with massive layoffs due to the halt of U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and the freeze on some federal funding. Not only are they once again shredding our field of dedicated and compassionate folks, but they are also sowing fear in the community [and] literally eroding once-safe spaces. The use of enforcement in churches, schools, hospitals, and law offices is terrifying to those who need to seek care, support, and education.

I鈥檓 afraid our immigration and resettlement system will never recover. The first Trump administration, followed by four years of rapid rebuilding and resettlement of humanitarian parolees, was extremely difficult on the workforce in our field and the trust built within communities. We truly believe that immigrants make America a thriving, vibrant, and better place. That spirit and belief will never be taken from us. While rebuilding in four years sounds very daunting and difficult, it is what we will do to restore our great nation鈥檚 calling to welcome the stranger.

I have worked in the refugee resettlement and immigration field for more than 10 years now, serving both locally and as a funder. It is breaking my heart to see people in resettlement losing their jobs again with massive layoffs due to the halt of U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and the freeze on some federal funding. Not only are they once again shredding our field of dedicated and compassionate folks, but they are also sowing fear in the community [and] literally eroding once-safe spaces. The use of enforcement in churches, schools, hospitals, and law offices is terrifying to those who need to seek care, support, and education.

I鈥檓 afraid our immigration and resettlement system will never recover. The first Trump administration, followed by four years of rapid rebuilding and resettlement of humanitarian parolees, was extremely difficult on the workforce in our field and the trust built within communities. We truly believe that immigrants make America a thriving, vibrant, and better place. That spirit and belief will never be taken from us. While rebuilding in four years sounds very daunting and difficult, it is what we will do to restore our great nation鈥檚 calling to welcome the stranger.

An illustration of a hand reaching for a smart phone with a text conversation on the screen.

Bearing Witness

A person who works closely with the immigrant community reflects on the myriad hardships immigrants face, and the reasons they have for coming to America.

For four years, I have worked with a large number of immigrants, many of whom fled their country and came here seeking asylum. I鈥檝e worked with people whose families were extorted by local police [and people] who operated like gangs, living under threat of death for not handing over their earnings. I鈥檝e worked with people whose family members voted in an election, only for the dictatorship to issue warrants for those who voted against him, helped with the opposition, or worked the polls. They all fled under different circumstances, but the reason remains clear and united: To seek a better life, to live without fear every single day, and to build something better for themselves, their families, and their communities.

I have seen how this new administration has impacted every single one of those people...They are afraid to go to work, afraid to send their children to school, afraid to go to the store to buy food. I have the same fears for them. I hold my breath every day. I wait for their messages. I wait to see their faces...so that I can exhale again knowing they are with their children, they are with their spouses. They are still free. They haven鈥檛 been taken. They haven鈥檛 been sent back to a place they ran from in fear.

For four years, I have worked with a large number of immigrants, many of whom fled their country and came here seeking asylum. I鈥檝e worked with people whose families were extorted by local police [and people] who operated like gangs, living under threat of death for not handing over their earnings. I鈥檝e worked with people whose family members voted in an election, only for the dictatorship to issue warrants for those who voted against him, helped with the opposition, or worked the polls. They all fled under different circumstances, but the reason remains clear and united: To seek a better life, to live without fear every single day, and to build something better for themselves, their families, and their communities.

I have seen how this new administration has impacted every single one of those people...They are afraid to go to work, afraid to send their children to school, afraid to go to the store to buy food. I have the same fears for them. I hold my breath every day. I wait for their messages. I wait to see their faces...so that I can exhale again knowing they are with their children, they are with their spouses. They are still free. They haven鈥檛 been taken. They haven鈥檛 been sent back to a place they ran from in fear.

An illustration of a map of the world with markers of different countries and a pair of scissors cutting the map.

Renewed Fears

One individual whose family lived in fear during Trump鈥檚 first attempts to limit travel from certain countries reflects on why their fears have resurfaced.

During Trump's first term, the travel ban caused significant concerns and anxiety for me, particularly as it affected my wife's visa. Now, I feel we may be facing a similar situation with her father's visa.

My wife and I filed an immigration petition for her parents in 2022. On January 20, 2025, Trump signed a new executive order titled "Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats." This order directs authorities to provide a report identifying countries worldwide with vetting and screening deficiencies significant enough to warrant partial or full suspension of admissions for nationals from those countries. Given this development, it appears increasingly likely that we could be impacted by a new travel ban, accompanied by an unclear and potentially difficult waiver process. It will have a big impact on our family reunification. My wife's mom cannot stay with us as her husband is alone overseas waiting for his visa to be adjudicated.

During Trump's first term, the travel ban caused significant concerns and anxiety for me, particularly as it affected my wife's visa. Now, I feel we may be facing a similar situation with her father's visa.

My wife and I filed an immigration petition for her parents in 2022. On January 20, 2025, Trump signed a new executive order titled "Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats." This order directs authorities to provide a report identifying countries worldwide with vetting and screening deficiencies significant enough to warrant partial or full suspension of admissions for nationals from those countries. Given this development, it appears increasingly likely that we could be impacted by a new travel ban, accompanied by an unclear and potentially difficult waiver process. It will have a big impact on our family reunification. My wife's mom cannot stay with us as her husband is alone overseas waiting for his visa to be adjudicated.

An illustration featuring a hand clasping heart monitor waves.

My Heart Skips a Beat

A wife reflects on why leaving America to be with her undocumented spouse if he鈥檚 deported would be a difficult, if not impossible choice for her to make.

Trump鈥檚 latest immigration policies have substantially added to the fear and anxiety that my mixed-status family has already been living with for many years. Trump鈥檚 policies have put us in a purgatory-like state where it feels impossible to make life decisions because we don鈥檛 know what is going to happen next. It鈥檚 like living on the edge of a cliff. Will ICE show up at our door? Will my husband get pulled over and detained for who knows how long? My heart skips a beat whenever I receive a phone call from him. I don鈥檛 want him to leave the house or drive. I can鈥檛 watch the news because I see my spouse in every immigrant that is handcuffed and chained.

Trump wanted to terrorize immigrants, and he has succeeded 鈥� only he is terrorizing the U.S. citizens who love [those immigrants] as well. My rights as a U.S. citizen to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are severely compromised when I can鈥檛 live with my spouse in my own country; the punishment does not fit the crime in these cases.

Trump鈥檚 latest immigration policies have substantially added to the fear and anxiety that my mixed-status family has already been living with for many years. Trump鈥檚 policies have put us in a purgatory-like state where it feels impossible to make life decisions because we don鈥檛 know what is going to happen next. It鈥檚 like living on the edge of a cliff. Will ICE show up at our door? Will my husband get pulled over and detained for who knows how long? My heart skips a beat whenever I receive a phone call from him. I don鈥檛 want him to leave the house or drive. I can鈥檛 watch the news because I see my spouse in every immigrant that is handcuffed and chained.

Trump wanted to terrorize immigrants, and he has succeeded 鈥� only he is terrorizing the U.S. citizens who love [those immigrants] as well. My rights as a U.S. citizen to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are severely compromised when I can鈥檛 live with my spouse in my own country; the punishment does not fit the crime in these cases.