English Learning Liaison Vanessa Lindberg has been working at Gloucester High School for 4 years, using her Spanish-speaking ability to help GHS’s immigrant community adjust to the United States. Most days she helps students and families with things like guidance meetings, obtaining work permits, or talking to the nurse.
But that all changed on January 20th, when the Trump Administration began carrying out mass deportations. Now, Lindbergh spends her days creating plans for if Immigration and Customs Enforcement comes to her students’ workplaces– or even their school.
On January 20th, President Trump issued a directive stating that ICE agents can now enter sensitive locations including schools, hospitals, companies, or places of worship. The Trump Administration said these policies are needed so criminals will no longer be able to hide in places of sanctuary to avoid arrest.
Lindberg said she has noticed heightened anxiety and concern among the students, so she is focusing on making sure they feel safe this week.
“People are really thankful and relieved when I reach out to them,” Lindberg said. “I can feel them breathing a sigh of relief when I explain our position, or even just reach out to say, ‘Hey, how are you?’”
Lindberg said one of the big reasons students are scared is because of rumors they hear about ICE coming to businesses on Cape Ann. These rumors spread quickly and can heighten feelings of fear and stress.
To alleviate this, she has been calling workplaces around Gloucester to dispel rumors of visits from ICE.
“It’s really important to track down and squash rumors as soon as possible because that is the source of anxiety for a lot of these families,” Lindberg said.
Students in all English Language Development classes have also been given cards by Lindberg stating their Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights, which confirm that they do not have to share information or let people into their homes without a warrant. The cards state that these rights apply to both citizens and non-citizens alike and are written in both English and Spanish.
According to GHS Principal James Cook, the school is reacting to this fear among students by ensuring three things: that everyone feels safe at school, there are trusted adults to talk to, and that students know their rights.
“Everything that we decide to do, it’s all about making sure that the students enrolled at Gloucester High School can come to school and learn,” Cook said.
Gloucester Public Schools are not alone. Other schools in Massachusetts are taking measures to ensure that immigrant students are safe from ICE.
Worcester public schools announced on January 21st that they “will not coordinate with ICE” and “will not admit ICE agents into schools based on an administrative warrant.”
In Brockton, the school district said they will not allow immigration authorities access to student records or schools without consulting an attorney.
Multilingual students make up 15% of Gloucester High School’s student population, with English Learners making up 10%.
Lindberg has been emphasizing to her students that in times of uncertainty and stress, it’s more important than ever for immigrant students to maintain a sense of unity.
“Even when things come up between multilingual learner students, I’m encouraging everyone to be a little bit more gentle, understanding and supportive,” Lindberg said.
This threat not only affects the English Learning department but GHS as a whole.
“I strongly feel that the diversity of our school is its strength,” Cook said. “Our students learn as much from being with people who are different from themselves as from the curriculum. We really want to emphasize that students are safe here, that this is the best place to be.”
