Written for The Argo by Royce Owusu.

As academics, and as the future of our nation, students on university campuses feel the weight of our country’s sociopolitical climate the most. While Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not been spotted on any of Stockton University’s campuses yet, many students are still feeling the effects of the ever-intensifying deportation campaign, and many fear they could potentially find themselves in the crosshairs of ICE as they navigate life in the adult world.

Student Keli Smith, a volunteer with El Pueblo Unido’s rapid response team stated that El Pueblo Unido has witnessed several detentions within a block of the Stockton Campus in Atlantic City: “any student who looks questionable is at risk.” I wanted to get a more personal insight into the thoughts of the general student population when it comes to ICE. As I walked around the Galloway campus of Stockton and asked people for their opinions, there seemed to be a clear consensus amongst the general student population: ICE out.

The majority of the students I talked to who are People of Color (POC) have stated that they feel a sense of fear when it comes to the current ICE raids. Michael Smith, who is a POC and a student at Stockton University, described not even feeling safe in his own home when speaking about the impact ICE has had on him thus far. “I used to live in Pleasantville and I would see them all the time in unmarked cars. I felt paranoid and unsafe in my own home. I never knew if they would come to me next.”

This sentiment has been echoed by other students on campus who have seen ICE in their neighborhoods, including Koda Porter. She described seeing ICE agents outside of her home in her town of Willingboro on the way to school “I saw ICE agents outside my home and was terrified to leave my home. My neighbors are Hispanic and I was scared for them.” These accounts line up with the opinions of the general public. An article by Sophie Brams of The Hill shows that 62% of Americans say ICE tactics go too far. Another poll done by Arlel Edwards-Levy for CNN also supports this, stating that half of Americans feel that ICE is making cities more unsafe. 

Amongst those most frightened are the immigrant community here at Stockton and those with immigrant friends and/or loved ones. An article published to The Guardian by José Olivares and Will Craft showed data that the majority of people in ICE custody have no criminal record.

Laiba Khan, event coordinator for the Pakistani Student Association (PSA) likened ICE to a terrorist organization: “it’s a bunch of mostly white people who have too much power and it’s gone to their heads. I am an immigrant, I wasn’t born here but I’m a citizen; and even though I’m a citizen, I feel scared for me and my family, and I’m scared of being targeted just for my race.” Another student, who wanted to remain anonymous, expressed her dislike of ICE, as they had deported the father of one of her friends, who she claimed had no criminal record.

 However, not all Stockton students are against ICE. SGT Treyvon “Don” Pope, a New Jersey Army National Guard Soldier and a student currently on leave with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spoke to me about the ICE raids from his perspective. “I’ve been working with ICE as a contracted analyst since before this all.”

Pope said he understands how DHS and their methods have negatively impacted the community here at Stockton. However, he also points out how he believes the enforcement tactics are needed to adapt to the shifting environment in which they are employed. “The aggressive intervention of protestors in enforcement operations have negatively shifted the approach to execution of operations.” He believes in the mission of ICE and feels that the violence perpetrated by ICE is necessary due to violent protesters. “I’m a believer of secure borders, anyone who feels otherwise is a hypocrite. Would you want anyone to come freely into your home? Then why would you want open borders when your own home isn’t an open border?”

As both a contractor for DHS and a student, Treyvon is in a unique predicament where he has his foot in both worlds, he described it as “having to choose between a job that helps his career or a community that wants to see it burn.” It is also important to note that SGT Pope is a man of color as well.

Regardless of students’ stance on ICE, there is one thing that’s almost universally agreed upon by the Stockton Community: something needs to change.