Being an immigrant under President Donald Trump’s new term has sparked complicated emotions for me, ranging from anger to deep concern. As I begin to process these feelings, the president’s actions toward non-white groups are difficult to ignore.
It is not new for a president to enact numerous policies on day one in office—it is something we see with each new administration. However, what is unique is Trump’s sustained commitment to repealing protections for non-white people.
Although I feel lucky that my citizenship process was made easier than most people going through the system, given that my grandmother was born in the United States, it is scary knowing that my future under Trump’s policies is still at odds.
To begin with, I was angered by Trump’s repeal of Executive Order 11246—also known as the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. Passed amidst the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, this act ensured individuals from discrimination in the workplace based on race or ethnicity. For anyone who is not white, this should be alarming—it certainly is for me as an Israeli Jew, living in a world where antisemitism continues to rise. Will I have to hide my Star of David necklace again? Will I be fired for taking Jewish holidays off? What will happen when people ask me where I’m from, given that I do not look white?
Then, I was troubled by the president’s efforts to challenge birthright citizenship, a right explicitly guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. Regardless of a child’s parents’ citizenship, the child is automatically granted American citizenship if born on American soil. My grandmother benefited from this law after her father escaped Nazi Austria and sought refuge in the United States, even if he did marry an American woman. Even though a U.S. District Court judge did go on to block the order, the implications and consequences of such an order are immense.
The U.S. is a nation built on immigration. I empathize with refugees, asylum seekers, and individuals amidst the arduous process of obtaining their American citizenship. It wouldn’t be fair to do that all over again for one’s child. The U.S. government has consistently shown bias against certain immigrant groups, despite there being far more pressing immigration policies to address than eliminating birthright citizenship. Instead, let us focus on making the path to citizenship smoother and easier, or properly addressing the border crisis.
Not even a week into Trump’s second term as president, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has already begun raids to deport undocumented immigrants all over the country. What particularly infuriated me was the apparent lack of organization in these raids. One raid in Newark, New Jersey, resulted in the detainment of both undocumented immigrants and American citizens, including an American military veteran. The raid didn’t even have a warrant. It is difficult to have faith in the president’s immigration policies when deportations lack the necessary basic legal structures.
Where does that leave me, a first-generation American? Perhaps I am only exasperated by these policies because Trump’s second term came after one of the first elections I was eligible to vote in. Perhaps I can be an idealist, and hope that all will fall into place nicely.
While Trump’s commitment to combating antisemitism is definitely something to await, I cannot help my skepticism towards what else will come next. Trump’s vague plan of deporting “antisemitic student protesters” has definitely been met by my skepticism, for example. I wonder what will happen to my international friends on visas, or what other laws may arise that will affect my existence as a non-white, immigrant woman. I will be awaiting the future with anxiety.
