On February 20, 2025, Stockton University School of Education hosted a panel discussion, “Let’s Talk: Immigration, Schools, and Knowing Your Rights.” The event focused on migrant justice and schools based in New Jersey. 

Earlier this year, on January 20, 2025, the Trump administration rescinded a Biden-enforced policy protecting certain areas such as churches, schools, and hospitals from immigration enforcement.  This rescission determines that there are no longer any specific protected areas under DHS enforcement policy. ICE agents and CVP officers now have the power and authority to enter these once-sensitive locations for enforcement action. 

Due to this recent abolishment of policy, there is growing concern for the safety and well-being of migrant families, specifically their children. Panelist Chereese Tulino, a guidance counselor at Riverside High School, shared a particularly heart-wrenching account of one student’s reaction to the fear of ICE raids.

Tulino described the distressing scene: “[…] there was a black SUV that drove past the school […] and I happened to be walking down the hallway and I think the student was maybe in kindergarten or first grade, and when the car went by she ran screaming in the opposite direction, ran directly to her classroom, to her teacher. And by the time I got to her classroom, the teacher was consoling her. She was afraid that ICE was coming to pick her up.”

Tulino continued to describe just how heartbreaking it has been for her to watch her young students in such a state of panic. She stated that “the treatment of these immigrant families is inhumane,” concluding her statements with “[…] regardless of what they are experiencing or how they got here or how their parents got here, they’re still humans. They’re still babies, and the only thing that we can do is just support them and try to do things that, well in the end, protect them.” 

While Tulino’s experiences highlight the emotional toll on migrant children, panelists Jon Diego and Cristian Moreno-Rodriguez emphasized the legal directions that individuals can take to protect themselves and their families. With the recent policy rescission, many migrant families now find themselves at heightened risk of deportation. Rodriguez’s 7-step guide provides crucial advice for how individuals can protect their rights in situations involving ICE enforcement, whether at home or in public places. 

Step 1: Do not open the door. When at home, every person has the right to privacy. An ICE agent can not legally enter without a judicial warrant or the person’s consent. 

Step 2: Verify the judicial warrant. Rodriguez explains that, sometimes ICE agents will present a signed warrant, yet upon further investigation, one may see that it has not been signed by an official judge.

Step 3: Do not answer any questions. Everyone has a right to remain silent. 

Step 4: Ask if you are free to go. When being interrogated in public, one should ask if they are free to go, for if they are not being detained, they have a right to leave the space to stop further questioning. 

Step 5: Do not sign anything without a lawyer present. 

Step 6: Document everything. Especially if one is detained, document where you are going, who is detaining you, and anything else crucial to the scene. 

Step 7: Communicate. Ask for help, ask what the next steps are, and remain informed of what is going on. 

After Rodriguez’s 7 steps were provided, the presenters and facilitators allowed the audience to ask questions and discuss matters further. This event not only provided crucial information, but also fostered a sense of unity among Stockton University students and faculty. As highlighted by the panelists, the fight for migrant justice is ongoing, and the resources and support within the university community reinforce this commitment. As stated by event facilitator, Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez, Esq., “Hope continues to live here, at Stockton University.”