President Donald Trump’s initial week in office has brought sweeping changes to US immigration policies. The promises included arrests and ‘mass deportations,’ which paved the way for a crackdown on undocumented migrants in the United States.
Jitters, fear, and the looming threat of displacement are hanging in the air like a storm and transforming into an unsettling reality for millions of US students. The Trump administration’s hardline blow – prioritising mass deportations and rescinding sensitive locations policy has not only dominated headlines but has ruled the realm of fear through the communities. The apprehension has seeped into the education sector as well leaving students caught in crossfire. For a plethora, the American Dream is slipping through their fingers, being substituted by a nightmare of uncertainty.
Schools, once a safe haven, have now become niches of anxiety. Undocumented students and those from mixed-status families find themselves walking on eggshells, wondering if today is the day their world turns upside down. The fear is not just about losing a home- it is also about losing an education, and a future in a country they have ever called an abode. But they are not the only ones shackled in jeopardy, even US students are left picking up the pieces. They are feeling the brunt of these policies as classrooms feel empty, friendships torn apart, and communities fractured.
Millions of students at risk: The numbers do the talking
According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), approximately 651,000 undocumented children between ages 3 and 17 were enrolled in U.S. schools in 2019. Nonetheless, this policy carries far-reaching repercussions and is not limited to undocumented students. The 19.5 million individuals residing in mixed households according to MPI’s analysis of US Census data including 6.3 million children are now overwhelmed with the apprehension of deportation. The families are torn between choosing education and fear of deportation.
The ripple effects reach even further. According to US Census data, under 18 million children in the US in 2023 had at least one foreign-born parent, with 2.5 million children being foreign-born themselves. Furthermore, the data suggests that approximately 13.7 million undocumented immigrants were reported to be residing in the US as of mid-2023. These numbers elucidate that a profound proportion of the school population can succumb to the fear of deportation.
Fear and uncertainty: A barrier to learning
For undocumented students living in mixed-status families, fear is etched into their daily lexicon. The probability of a parent or sibling being taken away at any moment has seeped into their minds creating a sense of anxiety. The situation is worsening the school ambiance, making it difficult for students to concentrate. Some students are dropping out entirely to eliminate the vulnerability of deportation.
Julie Sugarman, associate director for K-12 education research at MPI, notes that even US-born students are impacted as reported by EdWeek. Numerous students have undocumented peers or classmates who suddenly disappear from school. The sense of loss and fear is deeply impacting their emotional well-being and disrupts their education. It is not only leading to a long-term influence on academic performance but also is impairing their mental health.
Schools under pressure: The push to track immigration status
Federal law prohibits schools from monitoring students’ immigration status, aligning with the 1982 Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v. Doe, which affirmed the right of undocumented children to a free public education. However, conservative policymakers, including Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, are propelling schools to track the number of undocumented students enrolled, potentially laying the groundwork for tuition charges or other restrictive measures.
Critics contend that these policies not only transgress students’ rights but also create an atmosphere of exclusion and fear. If schools initiate footmarking immigration status, many undocumented families may pull their children out of school entirely, dispossessing them of education and social development.
Temporary protected status at risk: More families in limbo
Apart from undocumented students, those with liminal protections–such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS)–are also under the radar. The Trump administration’s recent decision to halt TPS for Haitians in August 2025, threatens to upend the lives of thousands of students whose families are highly reliant on this status for stability. As TPS recipients see an opaque future in the country, their children, many of whom are US citizens, will spend their school life under the cloud of potential family separation.
As of July 2024, more than 520,000 Haitians were eligible to register for TPS according to Department of Homeland Security data. With the truncation of these safeguards, students from Haitian families could see their communities dismantled, further augmenting educational inequities. Those who lay their legal protections may be compelled to exit the US or stay in fear of deportation, drastically altering their academic and personal trajectories.
US students at the brunt of the crisis
Elimination of undocumented students or those from mixed-status families is not a solitary event. The fear and instability created by these policies impact entire school communities. Alejandra Vázquez Baur, co-founder of the National Newcomer Network, highlights how the fear of deportation affects even students who are not directly at risk. “They notice that their classmates are not showing up. Their friends are not at recess,” she explained to Education Week. She further added, “That impacts them and how they think about their educational futures.”
Schools which should have been synonymous with sanctuaries of safety and learning, are instead emerging as grounds of uncertainty and fear. Students who are left behind grapple with social isolation, while teachers and administrators must navigate the emotional and logistical challenges of an education system in upheaval.
A future of lost opportunities
The impact of these policies is not just measured in deportations but in the lasting damage to students’ futures. Those who are forced to leave school due to fear or legal status may never return to formal education, limiting their career prospects and economic mobility. Others may carry the psychological scars of living in constant fear, affecting their ability to thrive academically and socially.
Ramifications of these policies cannot be just weighed in deportations but in the lasting damage to students’ future. Those who are compelled to leave school due to fear or legal status may never return to formal education, impeding their career prospects and economic mobility. Others may carry psychological scars from living in constant terror, impacting their potential to sustain themselves academically and socially.
The Trump administration’s immigration policies are not just moulding the nation’s approach to immigration enforcement; they are deciding which children have access to stability, education, and opportunities. And for undocumented students, those in mixed-status families, and children of immigrants, the cost is exorbitantly high.
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