Tag: immigration

Column: ICE actions damage ‘Land of the Free’

by Kaylee Borelli

ICE, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, enforces immigration laws and conducts investigations into undocumented immigration and arrests and deports undocumented immigrants. Their mission is to protect America through criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws to preserve national security and public safety, but recently, this doesn’t seem like the case.

In January, ICE agents shot and killed two American citizens in Minneapolis, Minnesota. One of them was a 37-year-old mother of three, Renee Nicole Good. She was shot when ICE ordered her out of her car and briefly reversed before moving forward. The second victim was 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. He was shot while he was both protecting a woman who was pushed to the ground by an agent, during a protest, and filming law enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security claimed that he was in possession of a weapon and “violently resisted.” But video analysis and witnesses say otherwise, ICE agents removed his pistol from his holster while he was pinned to the ground, before shooting him in the back. These two people weren’t shot in self-defense; they were murdered.

Graphic by Kaylee Borelli.

ICE hasn’t just been responsible for murdering two American citizens, but they have also detained and deported people with legal documents and no criminal record, even though they claim they are targeting criminals.

According to Brookings, since Donald Trump took office in January 2025, more than 540,000 people have been deported. Along with this, one-third of people who have been arrested by ICE have no criminal record. If they really cared about targeting criminals, they would actually target criminals and not allegedly bust out car windows just to justify arrests. On top of this, a total of 32 people have died while in ICE custody in 2025. This isn’t about making America a “safer place.” This is racism and a complete abuse of power by Trump.

Along with the over 540,000 that have been deported, according to WLRN, as of December 2025, 74% of around 70,000 immigrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention have zero criminal convictions. And yet Trump is still saying he is only targeting criminals when ¾ of the people in detention centers aren’t even criminals.

On Jan. 20, according to CNN, 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was detained along with his father in Minnesota while arriving home from his preschool. They were then flown more than 1,300 miles to a family detention facility in Texas. Liam and his family are originally from Ecuador, and in December 2024, they presented themselves to border officers and applied for asylum, but still, the DHS labels them as “illegal aliens.” Also, according to CNN, the Trump Administration has repeatedly said that they are targeting people who are “violent criminals” and the “worst of the worst.” So why are they arresting a 5-year-old boy and a father who were in the process of becoming American citizens? Luckily, on Jan. 30, Liam and his father were released and returned home to Minnesota, but they shouldn’t have ever been detained in the first place.

ICE isn’t just detaining people for no reason, but they are also violating the amendments of the United States.

The Fourth Amendment states that the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. This means that people are protected from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. According to the National Immigration Justice Center, ICE officers will knock on people’s doors and claim they have a warrant to enter and search your house. These “warrants,” though, are not signed by judges; they are forms signed by ICE officers, so they do not allow agents to enter your home without consent. But still, agents are entering homes illegally and detaining people even if they have legal documents or are in the process of obtaining legal documents.

Not only is ICE violating the rights of people to detain them, but once they are detained, the facilities they send them to are disgusting and deadly.

The ICE detention centers are now notorious for both violating the rights of immigrants and for the harsh conditions. According to the ACLU, Fernando Vieira Reyes, who was held in one of these detention centers, faced many problems while there. He tried to get proper treatment for his prostate cancer, which he discovered he had while in the center. He had requested to see a urologist but was constantly ignored, and when he reported pain, they just prescribed him some Vitamin C and Tylenol. The conditions in the facility were also horrible. They were held in small concrete cells that were the size of a parking space, along with being without adequate food, water, and clothing for hours on end.  

Even though it is repeatedly said that ICE only targets undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions, pending criminal charges, or those who are deemed as threats to public safety and national security, it has been very clear that this is not how it is. From arresting a 5-year-old who had done nothing wrong to the 74% of immigrants who have no criminal record, it is very clear that this is racism and an assessment of power.

Hopefully, soon this will change, because innocent immigrants and people who have done nothing wrong shouldn’t be getting arrested, being put in centers that neglect their basic needs, and even being murdered in the so-called “Land of the Free.”

by jhshyphen

Column: America was built by immigrants

by Gabriella Kraft

America was built by immigrants. They have built it up from the ground, and then others decided that they had founded the land, even if Native Americans had been there years before them. They were colonizers who decided they could take what they wanted and have no repercussions.

“Nobody is illegal on stolen land.”

Graphic by Gabriella Kraft.

It’s becoming a common saying, sadly, to get people to understand that nobody is illegal here, and no one should be getting arrested and killed for their skin color or their accents. 

“Nobody is illegal on stolen land.” It is a way of telling most people who are in support of the current administration that nobody is after their jobs. Nobody wants to harm them. Nobody wants to take away their position in life. Just as they are trying to get by in life, so is everybody else. 

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, “Since returning to office in 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump has taken major steps to reshape immigration policy and enforcement in pursuit of his campaign promise to execute ‘the largest domestic deportation operation’ in U.S. history. As part of this effort, his administration has carried out deportation flights, sometimes to third countries where migrants have no existing ties; ramped up nationwide immigration raids; and granted expanded or new powers to various federal, state, and local officials to enforce domestic immigration laws.” 

His whole point in doing this is to do what the rich politicians in the U.S. want right now. He is simply a poorly strung puppet who needs to be held accountable for the lives he has helped ruin and take.

More from Council of Foreign Relations: “In January 2026, the administration’s enforcement push reached a controversial new phase after federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in separate incidents in Minneapolis.”

There have been more unaccounted-for deaths and families this administration has ripped apart. Is it so hard to let people live in peace? Most, if not all, of these people just wanted to be here and live their lives when it was ripped from them.

It has turned into such a serious cause that whole schools are having walkouts in support of stopping them, including Hoosier schools. 

According to WFYI in early February, “Hundreds of students across Indianapolis and in nearby suburbs walked out of class Monday, bundled in winter coats and carrying handmade signs to join a growing national movement of young people protesting federal immigration enforcement.”

Students have gone through the effort of skipping class, missing a test, and possibly getting arrested for a cause they believe in. Not only does this put pressure on the school system, but also on government officials.

Young adolescent teens understand what’s going on in the country better than most adults. We see what’s happening and want to help stop our country from turning into a warzone, simply because some people don’t like others’ ethnicities or accents.

The impact immigrants have had on America is incomparable; without them, our economy would plummet. 

As stated by the Migration Policy Institute,“Immigrants were involved in the development of 30 percent of patents in strategic industries in recent years, and more than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants.”

Immigrants are embedded in all types of American culture and food. For example, according to the Food Timeline, nearly all of today’s popular American foods originated in other countries.

This country is so much more than different skin colors and different views, but we can only grow and build on what we have if it has a good foundation. What’s happening in the country right now is destroying that foundation as we know it. So I encourage you to do what you can to help the cause and fight for what’s right.

by jhshyphen

Column: Immigration policies hurt people contributing to our nation

by Dana Romero Regalado

It’s Nov. 5, 2024, and to many, that day was a countdown to tragedies for many immigrant families. 

I come from an immigrant family, like many children in America. Many come to America because it’s known as “The Land Of The Free.” They leave everything they know behind, everyone they love, their homes, and their culture for a better future for themselves or their children. 

“I kept thinking: this is for my baby. This is for my family. I want to help them live a smoother life,” stated a Filipino woman in a 2025 Reuters report.

“Aliens,” that’s what they’re called. Living human people, no green skin, just people who look different and have a different shade than the “American Ideal.” However, these “aliens” have significantly contributed to the U.S. through science, business, and culture, supported by studies on their economic and educational impact.

Graphic by Dana Romero Regalado.

For example, immigrants are highly represented in STEM fields, with 86.5% holding at least a bachelor’s degree in 2019, compared to 67.3% of U.S.-born STEM workers. Data also shows that immigrant-founded companies, such as Google, and 40% of Fortune 500 companies, were founded by immigrants, highlighting their entrepreneurial drive.

“The high-skilled immigrants we have in the U.S. are incredibly productive and innovative, and they’re disproportionately contributing to innovation in our society,” said Larry Diamond, a professor of economics at Stanford Graduate School of Business and senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR).

Being born as a Gen Z has helped me see how cruel the world is if you don’t fit the “ideal” image in America. I remember being terrified that I would go to school like any other day and come to find out that my mother was taken away — a hardworking woman who has her own business, hardworking employees by her side, and most importantly, a woman who would do anything for her two kids. 

To many children, that has become a reality. In 2018, it was estimated that 4.4 million U.S. citizen children were living with at least one undocumented parent. A significant number of these citizen children have been separated from a parent due to detention or deportation. A 2025 American Immigration Council report highlighted that nearly half a million U.S. citizens under 18 had at least one parent deported between 2011 and 2013.

“Government, please show some heart, let my parent be free with everybody else, please…” she said through sobs. “…My dad didn’t do nothing. He’s not a criminal,” stated 11-year-old Magdalena Gomez Gregorio, who tearfully begged for her father’s release. 

Many say that politics shouldn’t be part of conversations, that they shouldn’t be talked about because it doesn’t affect “anyone.” That’s beyond the truth; it just doesn’t affect them. Politics isn’t just about what you believe is “right” or should be “done.” It directly affects people and their lives.

Politics has a huge impact on immigrants and their everyday lives. The laws and policies created by political leaders often decide whether immigrants feel accepted and safe, or isolated and unwanted. Immigration policies can determine who gets the chance to build a better life, reunite with family, or even stay in the country they now call home. 

When political debates turn harsh or unfair, immigrants often become targets of discrimination and fear, even though most of them are just trying to work hard and create a future for themselves and their families. 

The system is failing the people they swore to protect, holding people illegally, and for a sum of money. Even local law enforcement officials, including Clark County Sheriff Scottie Maples, are holding ICE detainees at the Clark County jail.

So yes, who you support or follow does matter to me because it affects a community that is close to my heart, and it directly reflects the person you are and your morals. If the roles were reversed, would you still believe in your morals? Would you still say or think that they deserve this if they were your family? Or if they were your kids?

“Our attitude towards immigration reflects our faith in the American ideal. We have always believed it possible for men and women who start at the bottom to rise as far as the talent and energy allow. Neither race nor place of birth should affect their chances.”

Senator Robert F. Kennedy

by jhshyphen

PDF: Jan. 23, 2020

hyphen-jan23-2020-cover-image

This issue of The Hyphen follows the theme “We Are Jeff High.” In this issue there are features on students and teachers who represent all aspects of the school, as well as quotes and pictures from randomly surveyed students about what they’re passionate about. Our goal in this issue is to capture the true spirit of Jeff High.

Every student, teacher and staff member makes our school community unique. All of us have an impact, no matter how small. Once a Red Devil, always a Red Devil!

Download PDF

by jhshyphen

PDF: Nov. 7, 2019

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With the “real world” just around the corner, that first move in The Game of Life seems a lot more relevant (and scary) than it used to be. Is college really the foundation for success? And if it is, how can a typical student afford it without taking on a lot of debt? Check out our cover story as we explore the trade-offs today’s high school graduates face.

This issue also contains:

  • An opinion column about the “fatal flaw” in FAFSA
  • Reader voices on school start time and whether money or happiness is more important
  • A preview of the new Disney streaming service
  • And more …

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by jhshyphen

Diversity Among Student Leaders

Diversity has become an important thing around the Jeffersonville community. The amount of diversity in our student leaders has been growing in our community and across America. As individuals, we might not always think about the diversity in our community — but across America, it is becoming more important to people’s everyday lives.

Jeffersonville High School has over 2000 students, giving us the chance to have more diverse leaders in different positions of different clubs. Since our school has so many students, I believe it is important for diversity to happen because diversity helps bring different backgrounds and cultures to our community. People from different backgrounds can bring new ideas to the table that we haven’t thought of before due to their different perspective on the world.

That is why having Amelia Epperson, who is from Australia, and Bethia Busingye, who is from Rwanda, as our student leaders on Student Council is so important to our community. They’re both from different countries, so they both have experienced different things and can offer some great new ideas to Student Council. As someone who ran for office myself (I ran for Class President for the class of 2022), I understand what might motivate someone to seek a school leadership position. I wanted to help make students’ voices be heard, help change things in the school and apply my life experiences in a way that would help others.

The fact that Bethia and Amelia are doing that, while also bringing cultural diversity to our student leadership, is icing on the cake. Some people are on the opposite side and don’t like the increasing diversity in America. The opposite side is the people who want America to stay the same and not change. One person being our president, Donald J. Trump, who has been attacking people of color in America and telling those people to go back to their countries. Diversity should not set us apart; diversity should bring us together. Schools are becoming more diverse because of the changes that are happening. The changes that are happening involve different people from different cultures that are coming to America.

As schools are becoming more diverse, the students’ leaders have become more diverse — here and around America. Increasing diversity is why Jeffersonville High School is one of the best schools in Indiana, in my opinion. We have many diverse leaders who can help the school and change the community in a big way.

The topic of diversity is becoming more important every day to us as individuals and us as students — as it should be, because it is a very important topic. Having diverse leaders is not only going to affect our community but the world as a whole. All in all, having diverse leaders is not only going to help change our community, but change the world for the better.

Opinion by: Nana Spio

by Nana Spio

Leaders From the Other Side of the World

Staff Photo

Student Council co-presidents Bethia Busingye and Amelia Epperson are not only from different countries, they’re from different continents. Busingye immigrated to the United States from Rwanda, Africa four years ago, and Epperson moved to the United States from Melbourne, Australia about three years ago. 

Epperson and Busingye joined Student Council together when they were sophomores and now run the club together. 

“It’s good that we’re already friends, because we already know how to work with each other,” Epperson said. “Look at us, (Student Council) presidents, three years later.” 

Despite being in the United States for several years, the two seniors have had challenges, especially adjusting to life in a foreign country. “Well, I have family here,”  Epperson said. “I came here once before when I was 10. So I kind of have a feel for it. I wasn’t terrified, but it was still kind of scary and, it’s a new school, it’s way bigger than any school I’ve ever been to. It was a little culture shock.” 

“People have different, really weird questions to ask you,” Busingye said. “And I had to make a lot of adjustments, like with my accent. I had to start putting on an American accent in order for people to understand me, because kids would (be) like ‘That’s not how you say that.’ So it was kind of a big difference, and people were a lot less nice.” 

Epperson agrees with this, saying, “I feel like there was a little bit of discrimination with us. Like, your (Busingye’s) accent, people are like, ‘Oh my God that’s weird, what are you saying?’ and (with) my accent people are like, ‘Oh my God it’s so great.’” 

Epperson and Busingye feel that it’s important to have an example of foreigners running a school club. “It makes other students (feel) like they are welcome to come,” Busingye said. 

“I’ve seen many students who are foreign, and…they don’t join any clubs, (because) they feel like they’ll be out of place. (But they’ll) be like, there’s two foreigners running Student Council.” 

Natalie Bronson, the sponsor of Student Council, feels that Epperson and Busingye represent Jeff High well. “I truly feel that Amelia and Bethia, both being from different countries, genuinely and accurately represent the dynamics of Jeff High,” Bronson said. “We have a diverse group of students and it is not only shown in the student body as a whole, but in the leadership roles we have throughout the school that students hold.”

Story By: Greta Reel

by Greta Reel

PDF: Sept. 17, 2019

September 2019 Cover Image

The Hyphen is back with a new staff and fresh views. Download the September issue to read:

  • An in-depth report on how the American immigration system works, featuring real-life stories of people who are caught in it
  • A profile of this year’s student council co-presidents, Bethia Busingye and Amelia Epperson
  • Opinion columns about pronouns and terminology in the LGBTQ+ community
  • Student views on dress code changes and E-learning days
  • And more …

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by jhshyphen