By Kailyn Huynh
With nationwide walkouts and consumer abstinence, Monday, Feb. 3, marked the second time protesters across the U.S. participated in what is known as a “Day Without Immigrants,” a movement centered around the importance of immigrants in American society and in response to changing immigration policy.
This year, many immigrants, primarily those of Hispanic background, stepped out of their offices or schools to gather in protests or to simply demonstrate what America would look like without the immigrant community.
The first “Day Without Immigrants” occurred in February of 2017, under President Donald Trump’s first term, as an objection to his deportation and border wall plans.
Now, nearly two months into his second term, President Donald Trump has already made many significant changes within this immigration sector.
On just the first day of his new term, Trump issued 10 executive orders related to immigration policy. Some of which included, the “expedited removal” of noncitizens, overturning Biden policies which focused on immigration enforcement and preventing illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits.
The public has responded with mixed emotions, some of which sparked the social media outburst that stimulated the most recent “Day Without Immigrants.”
With outlets like TikTok garnering millions of views on videos calling to protest the policies of the Trump administration, the movement fetched the attention of some individuals at Fountain Valley High School (FVHS).
One of these students was junior Michael Carreno Reyes. Carreno Reyes described how he participated in the protest by staying home and not making purchases.
“We just stayed home and kept to ourselves because we didn’t go out, we didn’t buy from any places, we didn’t go to school,” Carreno Reyes said. “We just wanted to show people that [without immigrants] it’s kind of empty.”
Across California, many students participated in a “Day Without Immigrants”. According to the LA Times, ”Throughout Los Angeles Unified, attendance was 66% Monday compared with 93% for the year as a whole.”
Junior Melissa Marta Murguia explained how her identity as a Mexican, coming from migrant parents, influenced her decision to also get involved. She felt particularly empathetic knowing that much of her family arrived in the U.S. as immigrants, a story shared by many others who are currently being affected by the policy changes.
“[There were] a lot of walkouts that were also happening during that day and protests [attempting] to show support to people who are getting deported and separated from their families,” Marta Murguia said.
As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests have increased over recent months, many fear the possibility of deportation or separation. Some schools have even taken to addressing these concerns by offering resources to support their migrant students.
“Personally I have family-friends that are immigrants [and] are working on getting citizenship,” Carreno Reyes said. “It’s just a scary thing to live through because you don’t know if one day it’s just gonna happen … Even though you’re working on citizenship, there’s still that possibility [you] can just get deported.”
Marta Murguia advised those who share similar worries.
“If you’re feeling afraid, just talk to someone that you know and do a lot of research before saying anything,” Marta Murguia said.
Both Carreno Reyes and Marta Murguia sympathized with those migrant families who are now uncertain about what the future holds for them.
“I know people are kind of living in fear now, which is something that’s really sad because you’re coming to America to make yourself better and make your family feel better,” Carreno Reyes said.
While FVHS does not have as much of a Latino community, other schools with greater populations, such as those in the Santa Ana Unified School District or the Los Angeles School District, recorded hundreds of student walkouts on a “Day Without Immigrants.”
Above all, Carreno Reyes shared his pride in being able to support and express his beliefs in a peaceful manner.
“Honestly, always just be peaceful, and don’t ever do the wrong thing to try to make things right,” Carreno Reyes said.
Students hope that through their demonstration, they can make others realize that immigrants comprise a large, integral part of the community.
Carreno Reyes and Marta Murguia advocated for others to also participate in these events, and to never feel afraid of speaking out for what you believe in.
“Sometimes you may be afraid of being judged for going out and showing your support because you don’t want to be different, but being different is the best way to show your stance because you can make a difference by being the different person,” Carreno Reyes said.
