Hundreds of students rush through the crowded hallways at Niles West, hurrying to their next classes. In the midst of the daily chaos, one student isn’t worrying about his algebra homework or what he’s going to eat for lunch; instead, he is stressing about his family being separated as a result of an immigration crackdown. He shakily paces the halls wondering where or with whom he will be forced to live. School fades into the background of his anxiety because his world might be shattered in one moment.

This is the reality for Ryan and other students who fear that the Trump Administration’s immigration policies will affect their lives. Niles West News is using the pseudonym “Ryan” to protect the identity of this student. 

President Donald Trump was inaugurated on Jan 20, 2025. Within one week, his administration passed the Alien Enemies Act, which condones US deportation of citizens from enemy nations, threatened removal of habeas corpus for asylum seekers and signed orders that paused the US refugee program and asylum applications.

District 219 is home for a religiously, ethnically, racially and economically diverse community with families from across the globe, many students are first generation immigrants. As a result of Trump’s mandate to overhaul immigration and border security, students face uncertainty and live with a fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Ryan’s mother and grandmother grew up in Belize and migrated to the US when his mother was a young child. His father grew up in Jamaica and immigrated to the US as a young adult; all of them have green cards. Ryan, along with many students at Niles West, was born in the U.S. and therefore holds birthright citizenship, which is also under attack from the Trump administration.

“[My siblings and I] were raised by hardworking immigrants. Both of my parents are entrepreneurs. So they had businesses, restaurants and auto repair shops where they worked hard to create a life, a better life for them here, which I feel like a lot of immigrants do. Just try and create a better life for their family,” Ryan said.

Ryan grew up with six siblings and lived with his mother and grandmother. He is very close to his siblings despite their ten-year age gap. Outside of school, he enjoys working at his job because it pays well, in addition to spending time with his family and friends. He appreciates making dinner for his family on Sunday and is particularly proud of his lobster. Ryan and his friends often play video games and basketball, go to the beach, go to the pool, go on a hike or go on road trips.  Ryan is a senior and says he is reveling in his six-period day, leaving school each day at 1 p.m. After school, he goes to work and gets home at 10 p.m., where he does one of two things: sleep or watch a movie. 

Assistant Principal of Operations Steve Parnther describes Ryan as a hardworking and involved student. 

“He is a very funny, great person to talk to. He cares about school. He cares about classes. He’s just a really great student because he takes school very seriously but also balances the academics and balances the extracurricular piece. Also, he works. He just goes above and beyond,” Parnther said.

One of the biggest fears Ryan faces is the possibility that his parents may be relocated due to their Caribbean nationalities, as Trump’s deportation rates climb for immigrants, sometimes including people that have legal status. He worries about separation and being forced to live with one of his siblings.

“It would be life changing. I think it would then be a different responsibility for my siblings, because not necessarily would I be their child, because I’m not a child anymore, but it’s gonna be a responsibility almost like that they’re gonna have to be taking care of a child, and none of them have kids yet. I don’t think any of them are planning to have kids anytime soon,” Ryan said. 

In addition to fearing for himself and his family, Ryan also lives with fears of racial discrimination on account of being a Black man. 

“Being a Black man, there’s lots of other fears that come with that. This is something I’ve had to live with and just be ok with,” Ryan said.

Ryan’s fear of displacement is one many might be facing, but some students may fear attending school at all due to recent ICE arrests in the Chicago area. Deputy-Superintendent Roszena Haskins explains the protocol that D219 administration follows in regards to ICE in schools. 

“We’ve been following the enforcement actions, and we’ve been following the guidance of the Illinois State Board of Education [ISBE] about non-regulatory guidance on immigration actions. We had already been taking steps to align with their recommendations and provide that guidance to support our staff and students. We provided guidance to our staff on immigration issues and with our school principals and site administrators, giving them resources and access to additional guidance relevant to their individual roles,” Haskins said.

Social Studies teacher DJ Kosiba has received multiple emails from students like Ryan with concerns about their immigration status and the dangers for their families. Ryan stood out to Kosiba because he represents a demographic that is not often included in the discussion of immigration displacement–Caribbean individuals.

“I think a lot of times in the media, the immigrant groups that are demonized unfairly by our politicians tend to be Latino. And I think oftentimes we forget about the huge Caribbean population that we have in our school. [Ryan’s] family is from that Caribbean background, who [are] also very afraid for their safety and their livelihood,” Kosiba said.

Ryan hopes that his story will help other students empathize with the situations their classmates might experience during a time of fear and uncertainty.

“Everybody has a different life. Everybody’s going through what they’re going through. They could be having the panic attack of their life because they don’t know if their parents are going to be taken away or their sibling is going to be taken away. Their cousin, their best friend, themselves, even. So I just think this can open people’s eyes and just be like, okay, like, this is what’s going on. Let’s be aware and more conscious of what others are going through,” Ryan said.