Shortly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, Skyline College sent out an email to the community in regards to ensuring a safe and supportive environment at the school, providing protocols to take should any immigration enforcement activities take place on the campus.
Before President Trump took office, he had voiced repeated warnings of mass deportations of all undocumented immigrants from the United States. With the President now signing the executive order to deny the automatic citizenship of people born in the U.S., fears and concerns surrounding immigration regulations have been circulating around the Skyline College community.
Treasurer of the Black and Brown Scholars Andy Casas said he has seen students struggle with financial instability because without proper documentation, it’s hard to get a job and even after receiving a job, they are often overlooked and overworked. He also added that navigating higher education without proper guidance for those undocumented can lead to falling behind and isolation.
President of the Black and Brown Scholars Bryan Amezcua related to these challenges by recounting his own experiences.
“People feel more exposed when they go out. We can’t subject ourselves to the same risks as somebody with nationality does [because] of the constant fear of being either deported, having one of our family members being dragged down, or one of their cases being bogged down through one’s possible mistakes,” Amezcua said.
Paralegal student Arthur Veloso said he has similar concerns in regards to what the end of the birthright citizenship program could mean, and what the implications would be if immigrants lost their pathways to naturalization in the United States.
“Those individuals cannot work…cannot have access to financial support…cannot act, cannot have access to certain [medical care],” Veloso said. “Those individuals cannot have… basically a future in America outside [of] working under the table and [they are] probably not even paying taxes… The point is that… the end of the birth licenseship is one of the most arbitrary things that could happen, and it’s unconstitutional.”
Student assistant at SparkPoint and the Undocumented Community Center, Sandro Bautista Jr. reflected on how he has seen the current events impact students community, from the time of the election for the new administration until now.
“A lot of students have been very worried and have been disappointed in this country at the moment… just the fear of not knowing what’s going to happen [next]. I’ve seen a lot in the media [of] ICE and the immigration patrol [are] doing rounds around the Bay Area… and people are afraid that they might come to Skyline and question people,” Bautista Jr. said.
Program services coordinator at the undocumented community center, Diego Bautista further emphasized the fear of the unknown and acknowledged how the executive order has sparked a lack of inspiration in the community.
“Students are losing their motivation to go to school,” Bautista said.
Skyline offers resources such as the Undocumented Community Center, the Dream Center and Legal Clinic, and Extended Opportunities Programs and Services. Here, students can find support and safety to ensure that they can still be a part of the community.
Additionally, while there is a lot of uncertainty for those undocumented, there are ways that the Skyline community can help show support and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. Bautista, recalled the importance of gaining knowledge and being active to show support for the students and their families.
“[Show] support, get educated, learn about these things that are going on; protest and do things that are going to have an effect on your community that will lead to city representatives to say ‘this is going on, this is an issue and we need to find a way to support our community’,” Bautista said. “Just using your voice means a lot.”
