On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump spent his first day in office issuing executive orders calling for the immediate removal of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency relies on statutory law enforcement authority to “identify and arrest aliens who present threats to national security or public safety, or who otherwise undermine the integrity of U.S immigration laws.”
This enforcement has been a hallmark of President Trump’s administration so far, with ICE raids occurring in cities such as Dallas, Chicago, and Newark. Stricter enforcement of the U.S.’s immigration laws isn’t new (President Joe Biden’s administration deported more than 271,000 people in 2024, the largest number since 2014). But the Biden administration prioritized arresting those with a criminal history, whereas President Trump’s mandated enforcement includes ICE arresting a large number of immigrants without criminal records, according to northjersey.com.
On Jan. 24, ICE officials arrested three people at a business in Newark allegedly without a warrant, according to Newark mayor Ras Baraka. Almost 35% of Newark’s population is made up of immigrants.
With Newark being just a few miles from Seton Hall’s campus, the arrests highlight an issue that could hit close to home for many students, like Daniela Reyes, a freshman nursing major.
“I think that people don’t normally care about things because it doesn’t personally affect them, but it will begin to the closer they get into our local areas,” Reyes said.
Reyes added that the Trump administration’s handling of immigration will change the country’s international reputation.
“I think that they are disregarding the morality of hard-working people who come to provide for their families, as many immigrants come to do hard labor for the country,” Reyes said. “This will negatively impact our image because it shows a lack of empathy and professionalism from the leaders of our country today. America will lose its influence and credibility as it regresses in its ideology.”
Omar Serrano, a third-year law student, is currently working as an extern with the Detention, Deportation, Defense Initiative (DDDI) through Seton Hall Law School. DDDI provides pro bono immigration counsel to indigent New Jerseyans in removal proceedings and gives Seton Hall Law School extern students opportunities to gain clinical, hands-on experience representing detained and formerly detained noncitizens fighting deportation, according to a recent SHU release.
Serrano said he believes that the ICE raids have caused fear, even among documented citizens, who are worried ICE could racially profile them.
“In Newark, I remember reading the report…there wasn’t even a search warrant, and one person who got detained was a U.S. citizen, a Puerto Rican military veteran,” Serrano said. “I’ve already received a couple phone calls, I’ve had conversations with people who are asking me, ‘What’s going to happen to me if I get stopped by ICE?’”
Serrano added that President Trump’s new immigration policies have left many immigrant families feeling unsettled.
“People are living in fear; they step out of the door in the morning and don’t know if they’re going to come back,” Serrano said. “Now more than ever, it’s a mass effort to protect as many people as we can, and get them the relief they need.”
Mary Matteson, an undecided freshman, said she believes these raids are “really scary” for many, and “say a lot” about the Trump administration’s agenda.
“With the intent to end birthright citizenship and the racial profiling that is happening, it’s all very unconstitutional,” she said.
As these raids began, President Trump also had plans to terminate birthright citizenship. Birthright citizenship is the principle that every person born in the U.S. is guaranteed citizenship, according to the American Immigration Council.
Serrano remains unconvinced that this termination will happen, though. He said that he believes President Trump’s fight against birthright citizenship is more of a “social statement.”
“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Serrano said. “It’s a way of social control…it’s having a real negative impact on the country as a whole, and the representation of America nationally.”
The executive order was blocked by a judge on Jan. 23, according to The Associated Press.
Another subject of the president’s executive orders was diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. On the first day of his presidency, President Trump dissolved DEI programs within the federal government.
On Jan. 25, the Trump administration then began threatening federal employees if they did not report colleagues who continued to follow DEI policies, according to the New York Times. The emails sent out to federal employees said DEI programs “divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.”
Major companies and businesses reacted to this executive order by announcing their own dissolution of DEI programs. Notably, Target changed its “Belonging at the Bullseye Strategy” by ending many of its diversity programs that protected marginalized workers, according to a statement from Target Corporate.
The discontinuation of DEI sparked discussion on campus about how this could impact the country’s future.
Paige Hunsicker, a sophomore visual and sound media major, said that she feels the dissolution of DEI would negatively impact the workforce.
“These programs are essential in providing equality of opportunity for minority groups,” Hunsicker said. “It’s definitely going to make everyone more divided on issues of equality, like race and sexuality. I feel like the country has gotten so divided since 2016, and it gets worse every year.”
As students express their concerns, SHU’s administration has pledged to maintain initiatives like the DEI Committee and protect its students.
Dr. Monica Burnette, co-chair of the committee and vice president of the Division of Student Services, said that the university “[remains] committed to our mission and the values in our Institutional Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”
“We will continue to monitor how the government interacts with universities, analyze and be prepared to address any actions,” Dr. Burnette said. “We pledge that Seton Hall will always work on behalf of our entire community—students, faculty, clergy, staff, and administration.”
While corporations may be shifting away from DEI programs in reaction to President Trump’s mandate, Dr. Burnette said that SHU “proudly [celebrates] our diversity.”
“We follow the example of our University’s patroness Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, in nurturing the kind of community we strive to be—one that recognizes the dignity of all, welcomes each student fully, and treasures their gifts,” Dr. Burnette said.
President Msgr. Joseph Reilly also reassured students and staff. In an email sent on Jan. 29, he said that the university will be ready to face the changes that lie ahead.
“It is likely there will be more attempts to recalibrate the federal government’s relationship with American higher education,” Msgr. Reilly wrote. “As these changes are introduced, University leadership will continue to remain aware of and prepared for new developments.”
Msgr. Reilly added that SHU is committed to giving its students the proper environment for success by remaining “aware of and prepared for new developments.”
“Allow me to reassure you that as a Catholic university, Seton Hall will always work on behalf of our entire community — students, faculty, clergy, staff, and administration — to achieve the best possible results,” he said.
While there may be uncertainty about what lies ahead for both the nation as a whole and higher education, SHU has made it clear that it will remain committed to supporting its diverse community of students and staff.
Michela DiLorenzo is a writer for The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at michela.dilorenzo@student.shu.edu.
