In Marietta, there have been several reports of ICE activity. Thanks to social media, across the country, people can report any ICE sightings to warn or spread awareness in local communities. As a result, however, fear has become a part of everyday life for some families. The fear lives in silence before we step out the door—the hesitation and anxiety before driving to work and school. ICE has taken away something basic and human from immigrant families: the ability to feel safe in normal daily activities.
The constant fear of “Will we all make it home today?” A simple trip to work or school isn’t so simple to some families. The thought that parents could be taken away without warning is devastating. The children watch as their parents feel fear when they see a police car or a suspicious van drive up. Children live with constant anxiety, afraid that one day they will come home from school and their parents will be gone. Some children feel fear, while some feel sick because of the worry this causes, and some carry a quiet sadness.
The way people are being taken away is not humane; it’s cruel and brutal. They are being held in detention centers that are inhumane and neglect the people. It is so devastating to see families have to change their routines and avoid going to certain places so that they don’t encounter ICE. Our parents come here to give us a better life and the “American Dream.”
Children whose families are taken most likely have trouble concentrating, their grades suffer, and their joy fades. Teachers see the change in students, but don’t truly know the fear that children are going through. Parents never know if they will ever see their children again after being separated.
It hurts knowing that families are torn apart and have a low possibility of reuniting. It hurts even more knowing that children carry this trauma with them as they grow. The fear does not disappear—it becomes part of who they are.
Our families are not asking for special treatment; we are asking to be able to simply walk down the street and not fear that we will see ICE. We ask to be treated equally and fairly. We want children not to suffer and just be normal children. Until we are treated equally, my family will not be able to walk outside without fear. I sincerely hope that the administration changes and treats everyone equally.
