By: Jennifer Flores
The ongoing crackdown on immigrants in the Chicago area has disrupted students’ lives at Dominican, leading to canceled events and avoidance of what had been everyday activities.
A current Junior at Dominican, has opened about her struggles with maintaining a balance between her school and home life. As a first-generation US citizen, she worries for her family members that could be subjected to ICE activity in the area.
Since ICE raids became prominent in their area, she has taken the lead in helping with her family’s everyday needs.
“Since everything’s happened, I’m the one doing all the errands. My mom literally just drives back and forth from work, doesn’t try to make other stops, even if she needs gas, I am the one to get it” she says.
In the times that her parents do decide to do errands, she makes sure to accompany them every step of the way.
She knew all of this would further affect her family, when she heard that her father’s work friend got detained while selling flowers on the South-West side. It was an incident that made local news.
“It was a little too close to home. You know, when it’s somewhere, that you’ve lived, or you’ve been at constantly, that’s how I knew it was going to affect me,” she said.
Taking on big responsibilities and hearing about incidents in her area has brought a lot of stress into her life. Most days, she can’t fully focus on work and classes.
She’s made sure to inform trusted professors about her situation.
She is also taking advantage of the weekly counseling session at the Wellness Center. It is something that has helped her get all her thoughts and emotions out.
She emphasizes the importance of communicating to your family about responsibilities and a plan. She also finds talking to friends and her counselor very helpful.
In the case of another Dominican Student, she has also grown concerned about the ICE activity that has been rising in the surrounding areas. The concern is amplified given her undocumented status.
When the semester began, she knew things would become different. It was evident that her travel plans, going out to buy essentials, and the holidays would be affected.
As the semester progressed, it became rare for her to go out. Even going towards Oak Park felt unsafe.
To her, Dominican has become the one place that offers security, but it becomes hard to enjoy at times knowing that outside of these walls she faces threats alongside many others.
Her home state does not have as much of an ICE presence, but from miles away she worries about her parents, especially when they are working.
Under these circumstances, she has to financially manage and become responsible for her own needs, but it has been difficult given her status.
As of now, she has only missed one class due to being overwhelmed. However, she remains focused on their studies because her parents are a reminder that she enrolled in college for a reason.
Despite the multiple concerns, she acknowledges that it is important to take a break and talk to the people around them.
She remains hopeful.
“The acts of solidarity, community action, and sharing of resources I have witnessed bring me hope and resilience. It reminds me of the beauty of humanity and that we are not defeated,” the student says.
It is evident that Dominican students are feeling the effects of ICE and are reaching out for support, according to Jacky Neri Arias, assistant vice president for Hispanic serving and culturally sustaining initiatives. The Wellness Center has seen more visitors as the levels of anxiety climbs.
Faculty members are being prepared to extend support to students who have been affected by the circumstances. Trepidation has decreased the attendance of some students. Faculty are looking for ways they can help students outside of the classroom setting.
Dominican has also managed to find emergency housing for students who have not felt safe travelling.
While students should be aware, they should also prioritize the things you can control and your needs, as a student, Arias advises.
“Try your best to ignore the rhetoric that is going on around immigrants,” Arias said. “It becomes soul-sucking.”
She said that people who don’t feel comfortable can reach out to anyone in the CCL.
