Image From: Variety, Caption: Trump and J.D. Vance being sworn in on January 20th.
January 20th, 2025 marked a historic day in the United States as Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 47th President. In his inauguration speech, Trump addressed his agenda for the next term, focusing particularly on immigration.
Trump’s plans include mass deportation, dismantling the asylum protection system, and targeting birthright citizenship, utilizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for enforcement. Although many believe that Trump’s plans will benefit America, others worry that these harsh methods will also cause the displacement of many families. “Many of the residents of Fremont are immigrants themselves meaning that if he plans to deport immigrants then families will be separated, which could be very detrimental for the children in Fremont and the Bay Area,” says junior Abeera Shamim.
Shamim continues by saying, “many immigrants fuel the society which we are living in.” These concerns are shared in many communities across the nation, where families have spent decades building lives and contributing to the workforce. The thought of separation is a painful reminder of past policies in the US that have fractured families.
However, many are questioning if Trump will even be able to enact some of his plans. Specifically, Trump tried signing an executive order taking away birthright citizenship by asserting that children born to parents without legal status are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction, and thus are not entitled to U.S. citizenship. He further continues by claiming one parent must be an American citizen in order for the child to gain citizenship. Junior Aysha Farooq notes that, “Birthright citizenship is actually guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, so ending it wouldn’t be as simple as just signing an executive order.” The 14th amendment, ratified in 1868, says, “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” This law has long protected the citizenship of many families who were able to settle in America. Undermining such an important and influential law will have many legal challenges. This plan itself goes to show just how radical many of Trump’s policies may be. However, many courts have ruled to halt Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship, ultimately denying his request.
Deportations are another pressing issue. Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, the Department of Homeland Security ended a policy that restricted ICE’s ability to make arrests near locations such as houses of worship, schools, or hospitals. This leaves many families scared to send their kids out to school. However, many districts have already taken actions to reassure families. Fremont’s superintendent, Erik Burmeister, sent out a newsletter stating that the FUSD will be a district where everyone is welcome.
With so much uncertainty floating around Trump’s immigration policies, the nation faces yet another crossroad, where the legal, social, and human implications of these changes will shape the lives of countless communities like Fremont and the Bay Area.
Hailia Morshidi is a junior at Washington High School. She was born and raised in Fremont, California. This is her first year being apart of The Hatchet and she is very interested in writing on many important topics. These include global issues, local news, and student life here at Washington. She enjoys reading, writing, hanging out with friends, and listening to multiple different genres of music. In the future, she would like to study economics with a focus on pre-law in the hopes of becoming a lawyer.