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Editor’s note: The following speech was written as part of Alma de Mar’s recent Frederick Douglass Public Speaking Competition. Two students chose to focus on immigration and recent ICE activity and shared their presentations with The Light. You’ll find Kiara’s speech here.
Ten days ago, Donald Trump was inaugurated as president of the United States. In that short time, he signed over 30 executive orders, some of which had already begun reshaping the lives of millions. One of the most devastating? Mass deportations of immigrants.
This isn’t just about people without papers. This will affect everyone — even U.S. citizens.
I’m standing here today to explain the real dangers of these executive orders. Maybe someone listening will learn something. Perhaps someone will be inspired to act. Either way, the truth needs to be said.
Let’s talk about what’s happening.
Groceries are getting expensive. People’s citizenships are being revoked. Why? What does this mean for our future?
You see, immigrants are the backbone of many industries, especially manual labor like agriculture and construction. But when you threaten them with deportation — when you make them fear for their lives and their families — they hide. They leave. And when they do, the economy suffers.
Think about it. If you walk into a supermarket — if you even feel safe enough to do so — you’ll notice prices skyrocketing. Eggs? Nine dollars. Milk? Just as bad. Sure, the bird flu plays a role, but a broken system and a disappearing workforce make things even worse.
And then there’s the raids.
ICE — Immigration and Customs Enforcement — now has the power to raid homes, workplaces, even in some cases schools. This doesn’t just affect areas in the South [Coast] but hits cities like Brockton, where I’ve already seen it happen.
Imagine that fear.
Imagine knowing that at any moment, you or your family could lose everything.
I worry about that every day. And I know I’m not alone.
Some cities and schools are trying to resist. Some officers are standing up. Some countries are refusing to cooperate. But Trump holds another weapon — tariffs. He can impose economic penalties on any country that stands against him, forcing them to back down.
And what about the children?
ICE doesn’t care if you’re a kid in class or a mother working to feed her family. They’ll separate you. A child comes home from school only to find their parents are gone — taken, deported, never to be seen again.
Try to imagine that.
Being ripped away from everything you know. Taken somewhere unfamiliar, surrounded by people just as terrified as you. And after deportation? There’s no one left to fight for you.
Fear should never be used as a weapon.
Yet here we are.
Immigrants are going into hiding. Officials who try to protect them are running out of options. And in the coming years, many families will lose the only thing that keeps them together — each other.
“Terrible things are happening outside… poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart; men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”
This isn’t just a quote from history.
It’s happening now.
And the question is—what are we going to do about it?
Joran is a middle school student at Alma del Mar in New Bedford.
You left one extremely important word out of your opinion, and a few facts. Immigrants aren’t living in fear, they welcome authorizes of every kind from local police, state police, FBI agents, DEA agents, CBP agents, and ICE agents, Immigrants don’t fear any, or all of them, the people living in fear are “ILLEGAL” immigrants, and they should live in fear from the moment they took the first step across the border from Mexico, or Canada onto American soil, many take that first step from a boat onto American land, some from the Atlantic ocean, some from the Pacific ocean, regardless of when, or where they crossed the border and violated U.S. Immigration laws, they became criminals, then they traveled to one of the so called “Sanctuary States” including CA, IL, NY, MA, RI, and others with Democrat governors, and many Democrat Mayors who accommodate illegal immigrants by fraudulently transferring tax payer dollars that were allocated for payments, and/or services for Federal and State American citizens, Green card holders, people who applied, and were granted a temporary student visa, a seasonal worker visa, or tourist visa all LEGAL immigrants from around the world. The people who live in fear made a choice to break the law and either brought their families with them, or maybe met someone on America, they live together, or got married, and many had children, all choices they made knowing they were in America illegally, and when they’re caught, they’ll be arrested, detained, then deported back to the country they came from, if they don’t want to be separated from a spouse or their children, they can take them back home so they can live together every day, that’s also a choice they have to make, and live with. That’s the situation they’re in based on their original choice to violate US immigration laws and enter America illegally, now they have to live with that choice, and the only people to blame are themselves.
Its really impressive that every sentence you write is dishonest and pointless. Is this a skill you developed or just intuitive? As you use an anon accounnt to preach to a middle schol student who writes with honesty, maybe you’ll consider that others have a different perspective, and, get this, an experience that doesnt match your assumptions about their allegedly heinous behavior. Thank god for their coming generation, who are far more honest and empathetic than yours.
Thank you for this insightful article on the implications of executive orders. I particularly appreciated the discussion around their ability to bypass the legislative process, which raises valid concerns about democratic accountability. In addition to the points raised, it’s worth noting that executive orders can also serve as a double-edged sword in emergency situations. For instance, during natural disasters, presidents have used these orders to expedite aid and streamline government responses, arguably acting in the public’s best interest. However, the same tool can lead to overreach and abuse of power, especially if such orders are not subject to appropriate checks and balances. Furthermore, the potential for judicial review is particularly important here. Courts can issue a “writ of mandamus” to compel government officials to perform their duties, which shows that while executive orders can be powerful, there are mechanisms in place for accountability. It raises the question of how often such judicial tools are utilized to challenge executive actions and whether there is enough awareness of these legal remedies among the public. How do you think the availability of a writ of mandamus could influence the way executive orders are issued and challenged in the future?