The other day, I was walking through a school and overheard a student say to a classmate, “Shut up, before I have to call ICE on you.” 

You hear murmurs about what’s going on in schools across our nation. But I heard this negative comment in a school in Connecticut. It shows just how much these types of antics and negative behavior have become the norm in our society under the current administration. These types of comments make people feel unwelcome and unsafe.

Some students in our schools have to worry about their parents or family members being deported because of their immigration status. Even families who have been brought to the United States legally through asylum or refugee resettlement programs live with threats that they do not belong. So, how do we ensure that our students feel safe?  

Psychological safety is the feeling that one is safe to share ideas, take risks, and make mistakes without fear of judgment or negative consequences. This kind of safety is found on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The most basic needs we have physiological (which include air, water, food, shelter, sleep, and clothing), but the very next step on the hierarchy is safety (which includes personal security, health, and stability). Psychological safety is a critical need that every human needs to access and engage with the rest of the world.

Students who do not feel psychologically safe cannot effectively engage in learning. They will have difficulty concentrating, poor memory retention, lower academic performance, and increased absenteeism or school avoidance 

The hate speech in our country toward immigration has existed at some level for many years. But with the current administration, people have been given greater permission to freely share their personal opinions, as the person in the highest seat of leadership in this country publicly shares such negative beliefs towards immigrants and refugees.

For many refugees and immigrants who have come to the U.S. legally, this type of talk has sparked fear.  People in their community feel emboldened to shout threats and racist terms at them, tell them to “go back to where they came from,” and express other similar hate-filled sentiments like the threat of ICE action I heard at school.

Recently, President Trump announced that any immigrant can choose to “self-deport,” and the federal government will give them $1,000.  

As a result, individuals who came to the United States legally through the CBP app received a message that it is now time for them to return to their country. The CBP app was a temporarily legal way for people to enter the United States instead of crossing the border illegally, established during President Biden’s administration. 

Additionally, the fear tactics of sending individuals to a Venezuelan prison, talking about wanting to reopen Alcatraz, filling immigrant detention facilities, and highly publicized arrests and deportations of young people have created a very unsafe environment for many of our students and their families.

The fear felt by families in Connecticut has increased since Trump’s first term in office.  Sabrina Tavi, the director of Immigrant Children’s Justice Project, recently shared, “There is significant fear in our communities that’s impacting kids attending school and resulting in families not feeling comfortable sending them to school.” The fearmongering that this administration is conducting is having a significant impact on the young people in our state.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview two educators in Connecticut who talked about the impact the current social and political environment has on their students and families. 

Wakime Hauser, a middle school special education teacher, says that the media contributes to the fear and false information that others have about immigration. 

Hauser said that in order to feel more equipped to support his students and their families, it is critical that they are provided with accurate and reliable information. He mentioned that it is also essential that people understand the immigration laws and why they were established. He shared that the amount of misinformation in the media – and promoted by the federal administration – greatly impacts everyone’s viewpoint.

One way his school community responded to the political climate was by giving a presentation to the staff about ICE, what it is, and what the Connecticut law states around immigration. They also outlined what steps would be taken at the school if an ICE agent came to the school.

Lamirra Hood-Stewart, an educator and former principal, shared that the fear children who are undocumented have is something that no child should have to deal with. She stated that it is critical for schools to create spaces where students feel psychologically safe. Hood-Stewart described that students are watching the news, they are having conversations with their families about the possibility of deportation, and they are fearful.

“So, if you don’t feel psychologically safe, how does a teacher say, open up your book to page 5, when in your mind you are worried about all this other stuff?” Hood-Stewart said.

Hood-Stewart emphasized how important it is for school communities to support their students.

“With all of this going on, [families] do not know who to trust…They need that sense of security to know that they are safe,” she said. “The focus should be helping [students] develop into young adults who become contributing members of society.” 

The current political and social climate surrounding immigration has created a profoundly unsettling environment for many students and their families, especially refugees, asylum seekers, or undocumented immigrants. Fear and insecurity are now common realities in many communities, including those right here in Connecticut. This fear directly threatens students’ ability to learn, thrive, and feel like valued members of their school communities. Psychological safety, a basic human need, is essential for academic engagement and personal development.

It is the responsibility of educators, school leaders, and policymakers to ensure that schools remain safe havens where all students, regardless of immigration status, feel secure, respected, and supported. Let’s continue coming together in our communities and throughout the state to ensure that educators and families have the tools to make their school spaces where every child can flourish.

Kevin L. Booker Jr. is a member of the Connecticut Mirror’s Community Editorial Board.