The inauguration of President Trump last week on Jan. 20 sparked renewed concern among Trinity University students. Trump’s previously uncertain immigration plans are beginning to take shape through visa restrictions and executive orders, and the deployment of National Guard and ICE agents across the country to begin mass deportations and raids.
Only a week into his presidency, the uncertainty and anxiety surrounding the Trump administration’s immigration policies are palpable on campus. The potential impact on undocumented individuals and the international community warns of broader implications for Trinity as students navigate the challenges.
During the Obama administration, Juan Sepúlveda, professor of political science, led the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. He explained that while President Trump’s threats of ending birthright citizenship are largely symbolic, the real impact will be felt through the immediate implementation of raids and deportations. Just last week, rumors of an ICE raid, which later proved unfounded, spread through Bexar County. He speculated that the new border czar, Tom Homan, will target violent criminals as a first step.
“Now the question is how far do they go?” Sepúlveda said. “The tricky part comes after the violent criminals.”
According to Sepúlveda, once Homan’s deportation strategy progresses beyond undocumented criminals, he is poised to blame instances of family separation on the families themselves. If ICE agents discover a mixed-status family, where some members are undocumented, the ones with citizenship can ‘choose’ to leave the country as well.
Sepúlveda’s concerns are far from abstract — Homan’s strategy is already affecting students on our campus. One anonymous student shared that because her grandparents aren’t citizens, her family is considering a preemptive move to Mexico. The student says that if her family does decide to relocate, she will have to transfer to a Mexican university.
“I feel like now it’s getting to the point where we’re just trying to scramble, pick up the pieces and … find protection for ourselves,” the student said. “We’re … preparing for the worst at this point.”
Another student shared that while her own family are American citizens, her boyfriend’s family is undocumented. In response to recent rumors of an ICE raid in San Antonio, they have had to save money and put together a ‘go – plan.’ In the event of a raid, the family has coordinated to ensure that they stay safe and unseparated.
“At this point, no one really feels safe,” the student said. “[The] feeling of insecurity is just really prevalent right now.”
The sense of precarity from these two students extends beyond families with undocumented members to the broader campus community. During Trump’s first term, F-1 students experienced longer delays and higher denial rates, resulting in a staggering 12% drop in international enrollment nationwide, according to Herman Legal Group.
While it remains unclear how similar Trump’s second term will be in this regard, Sepúlveda, who is a member of Harvard University’s Board of Overseers, says that universities are already having difficult conversations about potential ramifications of immigration limitations.
“We know that schools like Trinity or Harvard are really trying to create global networks and perspectives,” Sepúlveda said. “If you start to limit the number of students coming in, … it decreases what students get in terms of interaction with international peers.”
The looming loss of an international presence on campus threatens the diversity and richness of the Trinity experience, affecting both academic and social spaces. Kendra Saldivar, first-year psychology major, said that she is concerned about her international friends on campus.
“If visa restrictions come into place, it’s going to affect a lot of my friends who are F1 visa holders,” Saldivar said. “I’m scared for them, even though they don’t seem very scared; I’m just really scared for them.”
