Photo Credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

By Katherine Cosgrove

Copy Editor

As one of his first moves upon being inaugurated to office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to strike down a long-standing policy that barred ICE officers from conducting raids in “sensitive” areas such as schools, medical facilities, religious centers, and other protected spaces. Across the country, major sanctuary cities such as Chicago and Minneapolis have been preparing for the possibility of increased raids.

For many students, the possibility of ICE raids is a worrying one. Junior Valentina Velasquez echoed this sentiment, explaining how the recent developments have left her feeling: “Just fear. Even if this does eventually end, there’s still that fear of like, ‘Wow, this is what’s happening.’” This is a common attitude amongst students, and was reinforced by fellow executives of the Hispanic Heritage Club, Yax Rivera and Kathy Rivera (no relation).

They also believe that Howard County has a responsibility to care for its students. “It doesn’t matter if they have documents or not—they’re still students at our school, and they should be respected as such,” says Yax.

They have ideas on how this support could be executed. Valentina suggested school-run meetings with families, and Kathy elaborated, saying, “They could hold meetings that educate Hispanic families and have translators, like: ‘these are your rights, there’s people you can contact for help.’” They believe that these meetings would help assuage fears amongst immigrant families that attend Hammond, and emphasized their belief in the importance of providing resources to the student community.

History teacher Mrs. Pfanstiehl shared that teachers had been given the opportunity through the teacher’s union to attend training from a central Maryland foundation, Luminus. This program aims to answer questions and provide teachers with information on changes to federal policy and what rights teachers and their students have, as well as what those policies mean for families.

Howard County stated in an official statement to the community that school administrators have received instructions on what to do if a representative from a State or Federal agency were to arrive at a school.

Here’s what students should know:

You have the right to a public education, regardless of your immigration status.

You have the right to remain silent and are not required to discuss your immigration status with an immigration agent. If you wish to exercise this right, declare so out loud.

You have the right to say no if an immigration agent asks to search you. Agents need either your consent or probable cause to search you or your property.

You are not legally required to give an immigration agent your name in the state of Maryland unless they have reasonable suspicion

You have constitutional rights, regardless of your immigration status.

As a new administration takes over, the political and legal landscape of our country is changing. The renewed ability of ICE to conduct raids on “sensitive” locations is frightening to some, but there are many resources available to support students. Every person at Hammond believes, as Mrs. Pfanstiehl said, “Ultimately my job is to create a safe and inclusive environment for students that recognizes and celebrates their diversity.”