ICE on The Rise, What Can East do?
Protest at Utah’s capital steps to show support for immigrants.
By Julie Lin, February 7th 2025
Since taking office, President Trump has changed immigrant policies resulting in thousands of immigrants in a state of danger creating deep fear in small and large communities amongst the nation. Within these policies Trump has abolished, it was stated that at schools and churches it was forbidden to make barring arrests due to being seen as “sensitive” areas. Unfortunately now, arrests can be directly made in these schools around districts and cities, East High included.
Currently in Utah, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE has been spotted several times in several places such as the University of Utah, local neighborhoods, highways, etc. No surprise that many families are scared and worried, going as far as forbidding their kids to go to school.
East High’s Plan
I have taken the initiative to ask the principle of East High School, Ryan Oaks, to talk us through their plan if ICE were to enter the facility. He states that “the plan is to do anything humanely possible within the confines of the law to protect East High students” but goes on to specify that he was willing to talk and keep the coversation outside of the building and if they didn’t have paperwork, “I would kindly inform them that they needed to leave the premises”. If paperwork was provided, Mr.Oaks expressed that he wasn’t a lawyer and that he would “be happy to summon Salt Lake City school district’s lawyer”. Ultimately, this process with the district’s lawyer pouring over these documents would be very complicated and resulting it to “take hours and hours and hours and hours and hours”.
Kids not Coming to School
“Come to school, it is where you need to be”, voiced by Mr. Oaks regarding the situation of many immigrant parents not allowing their kids to be at school. As of right now, it’s apparent that there hasn’t actually been any ICE raids in the state of Utah, which is why it’s still encouraged for students to still be going to school.
“If the situation changes, we will change along with it”- Salt Lake City School District.
Considering the news, gossip, and panic going around in a school where majority of students are immigrants, it’s beneficial to spread what administration is doing in regard to it.
It’s definitely reasonable to ask why ICE is coming after schools and churches, why education is being so restricted for a particular group of people. Our Salt Lake City school district is wondering the same things as well, which is why “our objective is always to protect kids”.
