Following President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has conducted an increasing amount of public raids around the country. These raids have put stress on the Fordham community as students face challenges to themselves as well as their families, peers and coworkers.
Throughout Trump’s campaign for reelection, he promised to reverse a number of former President Joe Biden’s policies that allowed for more points of access for refugees seeking political asylum in the United States. After his inauguration, he followed through on these promises and expanded the conditions for immediate deportation through a notice entitled “Designating Aliens for Expedited Removal.”
This notice ultimately allows ICE to “terminate any ongoing removal proceedings and/or any active parole status” and deport immigrants right away, potentially without trial. These developments stoked fears for students that cornerstones of their communities will be deported.
Fordham students with roots in immigrant communities said the increase in arrests and deportations since Trump’s inauguration has unsettled them. Alexa Martinez, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’28, was born in Los Angeles but said many of her friends and family immigrated to the United States from El Salvador and Mexico. Martinez said she is afraid people she knows back home are at risk of persecution.
This notice ultimately allows ICE to “terminate any ongoing removal proceedings and/or any active parole status” and deport immigrants right away, potentially without trial.
“It’s hard to know that people that I grew up with, helped me grow up and formed who I am are at risk of being deported,” Martinez said.
As an LA native, Martinez has noticed how her hometown, which is also an important sanctuary city, has recently been descended upon by immigration officials seeking to deport lower-class, undocumented immigrants. Recognizing this, Martinez hopes New York City residents will pressure Mayor Eric Adams to protect migrant communities.
“ICE is in low income areas or key places for immigrants that need to work to pay rent and their mortgage. So, I think that obviously it’s not fair and I think New Yorkers have to hold him accountable,” Martinez said.
When the hostility of ICE officials and the confusing reality of being an immigrant are combined, the fear of raids can be extreme. Mackenzie Tunnell, FCLC ’28, said her experience at her job has been altered under the Trump administration.
“I work at a grocery store and a majority of people there don’t speak English. So even if, let’s say, there were people who were here illegally, even if they are here legally, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to stand up for themselves,” Tunnell said. “It’s just something that’s pervaded my everyday life that I never expected to.”
With ICE and police conducting raids on schools, places of worship and other places that were previously considered “off-limits,” residents have called into question New York City’s status as a sanctuary city, meaning that police are not allowed to question or detain individuals based on their actual or perceived immigration status.
Fordham President Tania Tetlow sent an email on Jan. 28 commenting on the “nuanced and robust” debate on the subject of immigration. The email sought to convey a deep sense of unity and solidarity with those who are struggling under the new immigration policies.
“I have struggled to write this message because it is not within my power to reassure those in pain. What I can do is express the support and empathy of our Fordham community,” Tetlow wrote.
While her email offered moving words of support for those affected by these new policies and included links to resources that Fordham currently offers, some students have described the response as too little too late.
“We’re really focused on education, awareness and even though we may not be able to physically keep our students safe, we want them to know that they have a community backing them.” Eva Lee, FCLC ’27
“I am quite disappointed by the timing and the ambiguity of her email,” Eva Lee, FCLC ’27, said. “It’s really devastating that it’s taken a national catastrophe for our president to even speak about immigration and undocumented status… I think that you must take hard stances when it comes to human rights.”
Lee is the president of the Immigration Advocacy Coalition, a club at Fordham Lincoln Center dedicated to spreading awareness, education and resources to the student population. They host volunteer events, clothing drives and are currently planning an Undocumented Student Week of Action, which would include daily events to bring attention to and help alleviate the struggles of undocumented students.
“We’re really focused on education, awareness and even though we may not be able to physically keep our students safe, we want them to know that they have a community backing them,” Lee said.
Lee hopes the club can stop students from thinking that they are helpless. She said that volunteering and advocacy are important during difficult times.
“Awareness is key. Get the conversation rolling,” Lee said. “If you have the time and the capacity, please go volunteer. There are places that constantly need people: law clinics, churches. At the Immigration Advocacy Coalition, we have so many opportunities rolling out for the semester. We have a lot of research internships that professors Sarah Lockhart and Carey Kasten have been developing. So, yes, don’t think that you are helpless.”
University and city resources for undocumented students can be found on Fordham’s website.
