Cynthia Carvajal, Director of Undocumented and Immigrant Student Programs at CUNY, told an audience at the Segal Theater in Manhattan on November 18 that the City University of New York and New York State are behind in supporting immigrant and international students. 

“The New York State Dream Act just passed in 2019,” she told a small crowd. “New Jersey had it before, Texas has had it for years. So it demonstrates that New York is really behind legislatively as it relates to immigrant and undocumented students,” Carvajal said. “Even access to certain majors is restricted depending on your immigration status at CUNY, SUNY, or other institutions.”

The New York State Dream Act is a law that enables undocumented students to apply for state financial aid and scholarships for college.

The event, Learning Without Borders: Immigrants Transforming Higher Education, was hosted by Future Initiatives, a program founded in 2014 at the CUNY graduate center, and promotes and advocates for equity and innovation in higher education through education, research, teaching and social justice. Also, co-sponsoring was CUNY CLEAR, an acronym for Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility, a free legal services clinic for communities in NYC. The panel was designed to both review existing resources and advocate for more of them.

Carvajal emphasized advocacy and movements from students, faculty, and community leaders to allow people in CUNY to create many possibilities for themselves; an example of this is the Immigration Student Success Centers.

In late 2023, only Brooklyn College and John Jay College had Student Success Centers for immigrant students in the CUNY system. But campaigns and protests from The City College of New York (CCNY)’s Dream Team Club students, a long-term effort, led to the center’s opening on April 15, 2024. CUNY currently has four immigrant Student Success Centers, including one at Hunter College, which opened in 2024.

Carvajal compared CUNY’s and New York State’s immigration Student Success Centers to those in  other states like California, which have many more such programs in its state higher education institutions. 

Current national immigration policies are impacting international and undocumented students, affecting their academic and professional environments. Challenges include mass deportation concerns, mental health struggles, limited resources, financial aid hurdles, and racial profiling.

Panelist Lesly Ramirez Melchor, Baruch College Alumna and CUNY Peer Leaders Alumna, highlighted challenges students face amid raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and evident racial profiling, emphasizing the need for professors to be understanding and flexible with attendance policies. 

There are strict guidelines, she said. “If you miss this amount of days in classes, we are going to have to fail you,” said Melchor. “It’s like, where do we start having these conversations with our students, being like hey, I understand the political climate that’s happening now, so I want to talk to you and give you options of how we can go around this where you can still learn but not miss classes because of the fear of what is going on right now.”

Panelist Sunisa Nuonsy, CUNY Futures Initiative Peer Leaders Facilitator and PhD student, pointed out that high school staff often lack immigration knowledge, which can hinder student support. “Eligibility [is] changing, the Dream Act just passed, the ways you have to fill out the FAFSA, it’s kind of secretive…and largely guidance counselors don’t know this…so they end up misinforming students,” she said, referring to the required college financial aid application form. 

Carvajal added that immigration awareness and knowledge is a community effort. “It’s important for US citizens to know this information because they may have friends, neighbors, family members that might need the information,” she said.

Car horns echoed down Brooklyn’s Third Avenue on Tuesday evening as drivers honked encouragement for protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park. People came together in prayer, blending protest with quiet moments of reflection. Chants of “Abolish ICE!” together with “Free them all!” rang outward.  

The weekly “Vigil for Democracy” outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park began this past July when advocate Lee Crawford and Reverend Juan Carlos of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church joined forces. Since the organizers can’t enter the federal facility, they practice “public witnessing” every week. They also document conditions inside indirectly, by speaking with family members and people released from MDC, and they publicize accounts gathered by legal sources and advocacy partners.  Their initial Moral Witness event in July evolved into a weekly event each Tuesday at 6 p.m.at Third Avenue and 29th Street, near the facility, where they combine prayer with chants to advocate for the abolition of ICE and for transparency in detention practices. 

The 2003 Homeland Security Act established Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a new agency under the newly created Department of Homeland Security. Today, ICE operates hundreds of detention facilities, which include both local jails and private detention centers that hold immigrant detainees throughout the United States. The ICE detention population on September 7, 2025, consisted of 58,766 individuals; however, according to TRAC, a data distribution organization founded in 1989 at Syracuse University. 70.8% of these detainees had no criminal history. The Trump administration’s new enforcement strategies led to an expanded detention system, but critics like ​the National Immigrant Justice Center and the Detention Watch Network warn that ICE’s internal inspections are often superficial and ineffective. 

ICE s impact stretches across the country and into the streets of Sunset Park. “The public presence at the site serves as a reminder to detainees that they have not been abandoned,” said Diana Aronson, a protester.  

The vigil speakers emphasized that their demands form part of an ongoing movement rather than a single act of solidarity. “The fight against immigrant detention requires a comprehensive approach,” said Crawford. 

The religious leaders at the vigil linked their actions to traditional religious practices of standing against oppression. “The walls confine human beings who are both parents and children and adults who share the divine creation of God,” said Reverend Juan Carlos.  

“Permanent community involvement is the key to achieving real change, as single events do not lead to lasting results,” said Maria Hernandez, a college student.  

“System victory occurs when people stop showing up. Our collective presence exceeds their expectations. Our physical attendance at this location represents an active form of resistance.” Jorge Ruiz, also a college student.  

An organizer passed around a handout with the lyrics to “Let My People Stay,” sung to the tune of the spiritual “Let My People Go.”  The adapted song called for abolishing ICE and defending immigrant rights.  

 “The vigil represents an ongoing process rather than a single isolated event,” said Reverend Mark, concluding the event.  “Our combined presence at these walls reduces their power each time we gather as a group. Our unified voices will maintain solidarity, which will survive all forms of oppression.” 

Over four hours, New York City Council members heard emotional public testimonies about immigrant children, adults and families living in fear and trauma, who face systematic barriers to mental health care.

Alexa Avilés, chair of the committee, opened the September 16 oversight hearing with a reminder of the city’s dependence on immigrants and their importance. “New York City owes a lot to immigrants. The richness of our arts, of our food, the strength and creativity of our businesses,” Avilés said. “This city is special because of immigrants, their children, and their great-grandchildren who live here, work, and learn here.”

Avilés criticized federal policies that have intensified fear in immigrant neighborhoods and families. “The toll these actions take on mental health and wellbeing of immigrants and their loved ones is unimaginable. Punitive policies have devastating consequences on the mental health of immigrants and their descendants,” said Avilés.

The committee’s goal was clear: to question city officials about what specific mental health resources are available to immigrant communities  regardless of status, and how their departments connect people to those services and how they ensure cultural sensitivity and language access. 

Facing council members, Kenneth Lo, Senior Advisor on Interagency Partnerships for Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), outlined  MOIA’s legal outreach, “ The 38 MOIA legal support centers help community members understand their legal options, providing a range of services.” As he explained, these centers are located in immigrant neighborhoods, so people can easily access services they need.

Nisha Agarwal, Executive Director for Policy and Communications at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), described the city’s 988 mental health hotline. “Interpretation support is available in over 200 languages. NYC 988 can refer callers to services that meet their individual needs and preferences including language, insurance and location,” said Agarwal. 

Despite the existing program, Agarwal acknowledged that there are still existing challenges. “Immigrant adults are nearly twice as likely to lack access to health insurance as US born adults. Immigrants with depression are less likely to receive mental health treatment compared to US born residents with depression,” she said. 

Avilés expressed gratitude to those officials who attended this hearing and also expressed frustration that top city officials did not attend, saying their absence signaled a lack of concern.

During the hearing, community members listened intently. When Council Member Alexa Avilés stated some of the most troubling facts about the city’s immigrant mental health crisis, they responded with quiet finger snaps — a subtle but powerful sign of solidarity and support.

As the city officials’ testimonies concluded, the focus shifted to members of the public, who shared professional views and personal stories. Their testimonies had a variety of views, but one thing was certain, many non-profit organisations are helping immigrant families to fight their fears and fight for their rights.

“With real language access, including indigenous languages, we can finally begin to build trust and reach more families who need help,” said Sierra Kraft, Executive Director of Immigrant Children Advocates’ Relief Effort (ICARE).

“Many students live with constant fear that their parents or loved ones could be detained or deported,”expressed Andrea Ortiz, DSC-NY Membership and Campaigns Director.    

“In class, there’s no bilingual social worker, no trusted adult who understands the language or cultural background of students. These kids are left without anyone to turn to,”said Jania Witherspoon, Co-Founder at The Circle Keepers.“We must invest in a workforce pipeline to train providers who can reflect the languages, cultures and lived experiences of our immigrant communities.” 

Charles Brown, Director of The Immigration Legal Program at Lutheran Social Services of New York (LSSNY) schools, expressed his opinion about officials’ testimonies and the city’s 988 hotline. “I think getting out into the community is important. Often many experience long wait times when they’re trying to reach services. They don’t end up going because the wait time is too long… I would love to see just some accountability on that.”

Sunset Park hosted a Mexican Day parade on Sunday, September 14th,  to allow the community to celebrate Mexican Independence Day despite fears over immigration crackdowns in New York City. 

This event was one of several Mexican Independence Day celebrations occurring across New York City, with many other parades scheduled for September 21st.

The parade started at The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, a landmark in Sunset Park, and proceeded along 5th Avenue.

Sunset Park is known for its large and diverse Latino population, with a large percentage of residents being foreign-born. 

Participants displayed their Mexican heritage in different ways, including Mexican flags on the hoods of cars and waved in the air.  There was cultural attire such as masks, performances by dancers, and cosplayers. 

DJs were also at the event and encouraged dancing to showcase Mexican culture.

A marcher held up a sign that said “Mexico and the president, we stand with you,” including a picture of the current Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.

This gathering occurred during a time when the community felt a need to unite and celebrate their culture. There are rising concerns within the Latino community, especially in areas such as Sunset Park, about President Donald Trump and his administration’s aggressive use of  ICE (U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on immigration enforcement, including deportations. 

During the parade, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) distributed flyers titled “ICE Out of New York”, which addressed the immigration crackdown and advocated for its removal from New York, urging individuals to join their movement.

“When ICE does come to the neighborhood or knock on someone’s door, folks in the community come to that location and you know, scare ICE off, chase them out of the neighborhood, which has been successful not just in New York, but in LA and all throughout the country.” said Grant, a volunteer from PSL, who declined to give his last name.

Many people in the community are scared of going out. However, spectators do feel that it is still important to come out and support their country. 

“It doesn’t really matter if they’re scared or not. They’re still going to come out and they’re still going to be out there, which I think is good. You know we shouldn’t be stopping because of fear,” said Antonio Meza, a parade spectator.

In response to the recent deportation of nearly 200,000 people by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the City University of New York launched a Immigration Assistance Project (CIAP) as a “rapid response” program  to assist students and faculty to manage the latest changes in Immigration Law

In a Zoom meeting on, September 9th, program leaders presented information on federal immigration policies and the resources available to the university community.. 

The webinar’s moderator, Monique Francis, the Interim Executive Director of CUNY’s Citizenship Now service, explained the the project as “a free legal resource for impacted members of the CUNY community who have been affected by the policy and executive orders that have come out since January 20th.” The organization provides counsel in areas such as international or domestic travel, immigration interview preparation, loss or change of immigration status, and termination of immigration statuses, to name a few. 

Citizenship Now specializes in assisting undocumented students and families in securing their U.S. citizenship.

Francis was joined by two attorneys from Citizenship Now, Elinor Drucker Rahmani and Shawn Rahman. Rahmani went into depth on the many ways they can help, “We provide support and orientation to CUNY students, faculty, and staff who were detained,” she said. “We can help you locate and provide information on how to contact the person who is detained, we can provide information on detention and the court process, we can also provide information on how to prepare for a bond hearing or securing a bond, if applicable,” she added.

Her colleague Shawn Rahman spoke about the federal government’s constant updates and changes on immigration policy. “To say that recent immigration policy and enforcement are influx is a huge understatement. It seems like every couple of days we have this back and forth of executive actions that is countered by court rulings, people who are suing the government for their executive actions.” He added, “What this has resulted in is this near constant state of change of uncertainty and instability for immigrants. What this instability creates is significant challenges and anxiety not only for the immigrants and their family who are directly affected but also in many cases their employers and even us as legal professionals.”

Rahman explained the many changes that were made under Trump’s ongoing presidency such as passing the Laken Riley Act, expansions of expedited removal, and the removal of the humanitarian parole programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelans. 

One questioner asked if ICE has any authority to step on CUNY campuses and detain anyone. “A warrant has to be presented, and has to be a valid warrant in order for any federal agent to enter our campuses specifically to inquire about information to pick up someone,” said Dr. Cynthia Carvajal, the university director who oversees the undocumented student program. She added, “We have informed the campuses that public safety is the first line of anyone entering our campuses so they must connect with the general council at the campus, our [CUNY] central general council in order for them to verify the warrant then that decision can be made by those entities. Public safety will not be making that decision but that policy still stands.”

The CIAP let attendees know that they will be hosting monthly webinars to inform the CUNY community. 

Haiti’s deepening crisis, marked by escalating gang violence and political instability, has raised significant concerns about deporting Haitians living in the United States back to their homeland. “Sending them back to the environment they were fighting to escape is just not right,” said a Brooklyn resident working in sales.

With a new U.S. administration on the horizon, many everyday Haitians and their supporters are advocating for policies that prioritize human rights and develop long-term solutions for one of the Western Hemisphere’s most troubled nations. “If leaders put their heads together, they can aid the people,” said a 20-year-old Haitian student, who moved to the U.S. in January and is currently finishing her high school education. She emphasized the need for coordinated international efforts to address Haiti’s crisis and ensure protection for its diaspora.

The student also highlighted the alarming prevalence of firearms: “Most of the city now has guns,” she said, explaining how local communities are distributing weapons for self-defense as gang violence spirals out of control. However, the student acknowledged the limitations of these efforts: “They don’t have the final say.” 

The dangers of the current situation extend beyond gun violence. Law enforcement agencies have been implicated in extrajudicial killings, and at least 55 cases of gang rape were documented by the United Nations during the same three-month period, underscoring the extent of human rights violations.

The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, carried out by a group of 28 foreign mercenaries, left a leadership vacuum that has plunged the nation into further chaos. Today, gangs control more than 80% of Port-au-Prince, acting as de facto authorities in many areas. According to a recent U.N. report, gang-related violence between July and September 2024 surged by over 30% compared to the previous quarter, leaving 1,745 people killed or injured. These armed groups impose their own rules through kidnappings, extortion, and acts of extreme brutality, displacing tens of thousands and leaving residents in constant fear.

Adding to the complexity, Haiti’s security vacuum has fostered a climate of desperation among residents. Gangs have become emboldened, controlling entire neighborhoods, burning homes, and displacing over 700,000 people. In just one week, over 10,000 people in Port-au-Prince were forced to flee their homes, many crowding into makeshift shelters such as schools. The government, lacking the resources to manage the crisis, has left humanitarian aid providers struggling to deliver essential supplies, further worsening the suffering.

The dire state of the country has created a contentious debate over U.S. immigration policy. The Brooklyn resident who spoke earlier voiced strong opposition to deporting Haitians back to such a dangerous environment. “I think it’s extremely dangerous because of the state of the country right now. Deporting thousands or even millions of Haitians back there is like sentencing them to suffer,” said the Brooklyn resident. She described the mental health challenges many Haitians face after escaping the violence and how relocating to the U.S. has given them opportunities for work, stability, and a semblance of peace. 

Immigrant advocates are calling for more supportive immigration policies, including the expansion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) that has offered relief to some Haitians, allowing them to remain in the U.S. legally while conditions in their home country remain dire. However, TPS only applies to those who arrived before a designated date. 

Advocates, such as Judith Dolcé, assistant director at the Haitian Studies Institute, and Ruth Jean, founder of Jean Law Group, a South Florida immigration attorney, have called for extending this eligibility to more recent arrivals. This expansion would allow Haitians in the U.S. to remain legally and provide financial support to their families back home until the country stabilizes.

“Immigrants make up a significant part of the workforce and contribute billions to the U.S. economy,” said Dolcé “We’re losing vital resources while sending people back to life-threatening situations.”

Dolcé pointed to the broader implications of deportations. “Removing integral members of Haitian families creates destabilization in finances, childcare, and elderly care,” she said. “We are very communal people, and our connections here are critical to maintaining stability.”

She emphasized those who have been in the U.S. for an extended period are contributing to the workforce, economy, and paying taxes. “The government has a debt to the Haitian people who have been instrumental in supporting the country’s needs,” she added. “Extending TPS, creating pathways to citizenship, and implementing long-term strategies are crucial for allowing them to stay.”

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the entrance to Floyd Bennett Field on September 4 to vent frustration over the city’s plan to potentially house some 2,000 migrants at the former military facility. The demonstration was organized by Guardian Angels founder and leader Curtis Sliwa and radio talk show Host Sid Rosenberg.

Crowds carried American flags and placards saying “Stop Rewarding Start Deporting,” and “Adams Must Go.” Chants of “No Tent City!”  and “Close Our Borders!” were heard as well. Sliwa, who spoke for almost 45 minutes, called on New York Governor Kathy Hochul to work with the community on this issue.

“Kathy Hochul, defy the local officials, work with us, cooperate with them, get the bad illegal aliens off the street, make them do their time and then ship them back,” Sliwa demanded.

Sliwa warned that site infrastructure could be set up pretty quickly. “They are gonna try to put these tents up. They already signed the contract even though City Hall lied,” Sliwa claimed.

The demonstration came one day before city officials announced a lease had been signed with the federal government to house migrants at the field, which is now a National Park site. Floyd Bennett Field is owned by the federal government and patrolled by federal law enforcement agencies.

In a statement on Friday, Sept. 15, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the city lacked the resources to house the influx of migrants and demanded more assistance from the federal government. “As I have said before, because we haven’t seen meaningful policy changes that would alter the course of this crisis, we’ve been forced to unsustainably open new site after new site as asylum seekers continue to arrive by the thousands,” Adams said.

Tensions between his administration and residents in the outer boroughs have been mounting as the openings of what the city calls “Migrant Relief Centers” are opposed by many living in those neighborhoods.

At the protest, New York State Assemblywoman Jamie Williams, a Democrat who represents Mill Basin and Canarsie, publicly chastised Governor Hochul for what she said was a lack of response to the crisis from Albany. “[You] should be ashamed of yourself, ashamed of yourself for taking these migrants and wanting to put them in Floyd Bennett Field. Put them in Buffalo, put them in Erie County! But you wouldn’t do that,” Williams said.

Jeffrey, a Brooklynite who attended the protest but would not give his full name, cited rumors that migrants are coming from a multitude of countries.

“We are having a flood of unknowns, people that are coming to the area,” he said. “We are having a spate of robberies, we are having a spate of shoplifting, we are having all sorts of things,” he said, without providing any evidence that these problems were connected to the migrants. “When they pull the people over, they are finding people not from South America, they are finding people from Africa, they are finding people from Europe,” he claimed.

Protesters vowed to continue their actions until their concerns are addressed.

When you think of honey, you may see a plastic jar shaped like a bear. You may think of the black and yellow fuzzy buzzing pollinators that create rows of hexagonal containers. 

However, there is a different way of making this sweetener, that may be less known, in Taulabé, Honduras.

Marcela Castellanos, one of the owners of La Casa del Dulce, works hard with her staff and family to provide the citizens of Honduras with sweet treats. 

She sells traditional Honduran breads such as roscias, alborotos – hardened balls of popcorn covered in honey – and batidos, honey that is mixed with other ingredients until it hardens from friction applied. 

When asked by a consumer why the juice she sells was not sour or acidic, Marcela Castellanos smiled.“We call it guarapo. The juice, with time, becomes guarapo,” Castellanos explained in her native language Spanish.

Guarapo refers to the sourness of the juice once it has been sitting for a few days. Castellanos explained that everything in her company starts from the very beginning. 

“We cut everything here freshly. Vendors that have guarapo cut the sugar cane and let it sit for a long time. The cane gets this favor of “chicha,” as we call it here. Not here because it’s fresh cane,” she continued.

La Casa del Dulce starts their process from the very beginning. From planting the sugar cane to harvesting it and crushing out the juice to create some sweet treats.

“The business has existed for 30 years. The business of my father-in-law. My husband and I have been here for about eight years,” said Castellanos.

The company has four workers on her property tending to production, as Castellanos tends to customers in her store right on the property. 

“The store out front is new because we wanted to keep our workers and customers safe during the pandemic,” explained Castellanos.

Every worker has different responsibilities. Some fill models, others make sure the honey doesn’t sit in one bath for too long, others make sure the sugar cane is actually being crushed to extract the necessary juice. 

“I put the cane in this machine called the ‘trapiche’,” said Jesus Sanchez, a worker at the production site. “From here the juice travels through this tube into a pot that heats it up. It has to go through five different pots of different temperatures to then go into the models.”

However, the sugar cane’s use does not end there. After the juice is extracted, the leftover carcass is dried out in the hot climate of Taulabé. From there, it is introduced to the engulfing flames that are maintaining the heat for the boiling sugary liquid. Through a cloud of suffocating smoke that makes your throat and eyes itch, the juice starts to turn into honey.

From being a clear liquid, the sugar from the pressed sugar cane starts to solidify as it moves from pot to pot. When it has reached the right point of solidification, the substance is transferred to a tub where someone is constantly mixing it with a wooden spoon and picked up and placed in a model with a metal shovel.

“We use a shovel because it is a lot of product and the wood doesn’t change the flavor of the honey stick,” said Sanchez. 

With the same shovel, they lift out product from the bath and start placing it in models. Once filled they are placed on a table that is felt to cool and harden. From there they wrap the honey and prepare it for customers to buy.

“We also sell honey to other distributors. So we offer them a space to sell their products because they use our honey. We support each other even though we are different companies,” said Castellanos.

Many customers say they go out of their way to visit La Casa del Dulce.

“The products she makes are really good. When my family comes from the United States they always take things with them,” said a loyal customer Dayanara Torres in Spanish. “ It takes us 45 minutes to get here, but it is always worth it for the sweets.”

For decades, the United States has been the epicenter of higher education, attracting generations of students from around the globe. However, in more recent times, the US is witnessing a steady decline in interest from foreign students. In fact, the US government reported an 18% drop in overall international student visa holders and a whopping 72% decrease in new enrollments even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decline in enrollment rates can be attributed to factors such as competition from countries like Canada and Australia. A recent study conducted by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), found international student enrollment rates dropped by 7% at US institutions but rose 52% at Canadian colleges during 2016-2019.

“I always dreamed about studying in America,” said 18-year-old Mana Rai, who resides in Kathmandu, Nepal. “But with little to no hope of being able to stay in the country after graduating, Canada is starting to seem like more of a better option,” she added during a phone interview.

Unlike the United States, Canada offers visa and immigration opportunities, allowing international students to remain in the country immediately following graduation through its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), which is commonly seen as the first major step towards obtaining permanent resident status.

According to data collected by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), from January to October 2021, 97.5% of international students who applied for permanent residency following their graduation were successful and were awarded legal permission to stay and work in the country.

By contrast, following the Trump administration’s short-lived immigration directive, over one million international students in the United States were barred from residing in the country if their school offered a fully online schedule for the Fall 2020 semester. Students already in the United States were to be deported and the remaining students that had already left the country were denied re-entry.

“I was shocked,” said Rai. “How can you deport someone with a valid visa? It was purely racist and the message was very clear– we [international students] are obviously not welcome in the States,” she said.

Although the Trump administrations immigration directive rescinded the directive after facing eight federal lawsuits and the opposition of hundreds of universities, it still prohibited new international admission from entering the United States if their school was conducted entirely online, inconveniencing thousands to attend classes with major time differences and limited physical resources.

Similarly, denial rates for employment-based Green Cards increased by 15.5% in the last quarter of 2019, again under the Trump Administration, making obtaining permanent residency in the United States more challenging than ever before.

Other foreign students ponder whether the tuition costs and additional fees that come with obtaining an American education are truly worthwhile.

“Simply put, it’s just too expensive,” said 21-year-old London resident, Naomi Harris. “I don’t see the point in spending tens of thousands of dollars on tuition alone, with no guarantee of getting a job or any possibility of being able to stay back in the country,” she said.

Educators also ascribe the decline in foreign enrollment rates to what they are calling the ‘Trump Effect,’ in which anti-immigrant rhetoric has caused a general concern over the safety and security of international students in the United States.

“After the 2016 election, there was a lot of anti-immigrant sentiment,” said Jesus Perez, who is Director of the Immigrant Student Success Office at CUNY Brooklyn College. “People [International Students] felt not welcome or that being here [the United States] would be an uphill battle,” he said.

Despite the hardships and overall foreign disinterest, international students already in the United States are eager to complete their degree and accredit American education for its financial power.

“I left India knowing I would have more of an opportunity making more money here in the same field,” said 24-year-old Brooklyn College marketing student, Yajat Mahjan. “I’m also a chef, but I wasn’t making enough money in India to live in the city, whereas in New York I am able to make enough money to sustain myself,” he said.

As of 2019, Brooklyn College was home to 578 international students from over 50 countries, largely from China, South Korea, and India. The Brooklyn College International Student Services Office was unable to provide comparative data on international student enrollment rates from pre-pandemic years to the present day, despite repeated efforts to get in contact with them. However, the campus community heavily relies on its international community and recognizes their usefulness at Brooklyn College.

“International students bring value to the campus,” said Perez. “Especially with college and academia, we want to be able to look at things from a different perspective, so they [International Students] enrich our community,” he said.

Nearly 100 immigrant workers and their supports rallied outside the Terminal Warehouse in New York City in the freezing weather to protest on Feb. 24 to protest their lack of any sort of healthcare as undocumented construction workers.

This was the second rally held by these workers held as they called for a union to protect them at construction sites that treat them as expendables.

“I’m here to support the rally and I will not let go.” Diego Peña, one of the construction workers present at the rally who was recently fired said in Spanish. “When they talked to the boss, they said there was no work and the person here charging for the labor also said there’s no work for them.”

Peña, along with other protestors present at the rally, said they were fired for standing up to the exploitation they have been faced. They were told by their bosses that the is no work and they are not needed for the job.

“The workers who bravely stood forward to call out those conditions have now lost their jobs. Shame on PIMCO! Shame on PIMCO!” Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said.

PIMCO is the target for these rallies and PIMCO is one of the world’s largest bond fund organizations with their priorities on funding construction projects that are supposed to help laborers, carpenters, ironworkers, and other trades. Protesters say that the money is not reaching construction workers.

One of the organizations there to support this group of protestors support is the New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE). NICE’s goal is to serve safer alternatives for workers who now get jobs as day laborers by lining up on street corners, are exploited by fraudulent employment agencies, and who have little access to workforce development services

“I’m here today to stand with union workers and to stand with me as one single voice.”  Roberto Perez, one of the current members of the NICE said in Spanish, “I’m standing with zero tolerance against employers, and contractors who are exploiting construction workers.”

Perez having experience as an immigrant worker has worked in the past with construction companies who subject him and many of his coworkers to work for 60-70 hours a week while only being paid for half of their time, with other workers completing a full day of labor and not being paid at all.

“What do we want? Union! When do we want it? Now!” the group of protestors chanted as they rallied outside Terminal Warehouse

New York City is home to roughly 3.1 million immigrants according to the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. With 38% of the city’s population being made up entirely of immigrants across all five boroughs and 45% of New York City’s workforce being done by immigrant workers.

“We all know how dangerous construction work is. We cannot afford to ruin our family because the rich want to cut corners on safety, because they want to steal wages, because they see black and brown workers as disposable,” New York State Senator Jessica Ramos said.

Assemblyman Nick Perry shook his head in discontent when asked about Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential race.

Seated in his office in a burgundy chair in front of the American flag, the Jamaica-born legislator expressed deep concern about the nation’s welfare, especially for Caribbean-Americans, who have clustered in his East Flatbush district.

“They think he’s a change agent,” Perry, a Democrat, said of Trump. “Caribbean people around the world realize the change he’s talking about is the change we’ve been fighting to stop.”

Trump’s victory has left a deep disappointment in Brooklyn’s Caribbean immigrant community, the largest in the country, coupled with disbelief and distrust in the American political system.

Although exit polls show that Clinton won nearly 9 out of every 10 black votes, Perry lamented that some black youth backed Trump.

“My granddaughter sends tweets about politics to her peers on Twitter, and I can’t believe how some of these young minority African American youth were inspired to support Trump,” Perry said, referring to Roc Nation recording artist Justine Skye.

The disbelief of Jamaican and Haitians residents here reflected the low morale not only in the Brooklyn immigrant community, but in Caribbean communities across the globe.

Local Caribbean newspapers have carried reports of leaders and former leaders in the West Indies who expressed reservations about Trump’s victory. For example, the Caribbean Life newspaper reported that while former Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller congratulated  Trump on his victory, she quickly pointed out the concerns people have with him.

“Trump must recognize the influence the United States has on global affairs. In the weeks ahead we look forward to hearing and seeing how the Trump’s administration will take shape,” Miller added. “We have some concerns, since Jamaicans are a big part of the immigrant community in the U.S.” ht

In Trinidad, Vice Chairwoman Camille Robinson-Regis showed her disappointment with Clinton’s defeat.

“What I find truly amazing is that a country as liberal and advanced like the U.S. took 200 years to have a woman on the ballot of one of the major political parties,” Robinson-Regis said, echoing region-wide disappointment with the result. “My brother, who lives in the key swing state of Florida, had been campaigning for Hillary and canvassing for votes for her. I told him if Hillary didn’t win I’ll blame them squarely. My brother and cousins in New York, who are all registered Democrats, were among millions of early voters.”

Jermaine Richards, 32, a dollar van driver from Kingston, Jamaica, spoke in his native patois about how he despised Trump’s immigration policies, quickly pausing the conversation about Trump to pick up passengers along Flatbush Avenue between Avenues R and S. Richards stopped inside of Caribbean soul food hotspot, Island Express, to eat a plate of his favorite meal, oxtails with white rice and cabbage, just as night fell and his second shift of rounds was soon set to commence.

“My wife and daughter are back home” in Jamaica, Richards said, between bites at the table. “Everyday I roll up on the road back and forth from Kings Plaza Mall down to Flatlands just to provide an honest income to send back for them. Trump said he wants to build a wall for keep me little girl and her mother away from me. Man must reconsider cause Jamaicans compose of a bulk of the immigrant community here and we’re not satisfied with them plans.”

Jamaica native Stephanie Burke, 46, an early childhood home daycare provider, said she was outraged at America’s choice for commander-in-chief due to what she sees as a lack of leadership qualities and contradictory behaviors.

“Trump displays a racist attitude toward immigrants, prides himself on being a nationalist but entirely contradicts ideals intended to protect its citizens, that were put forth by the founding fathers of the United States,” Burke said.

Burke said an advisor at the U.S. Citizen Immigration Services office had helped her after she lost her birth certificate and passport in a home invasion. “At that point in my life I wanted to give up but the immigration service advisors helped restore my hope and walked me through the steps of the citizenship application process,” she said. But it was too late to vote. “I tried to get everything together in time for the election so I could vote, although neither candidate interested me,” she said. “But the voter registration deadlines derailed my efforts.”

During the campaign, Caribbean immigrants observed warily as Trump offered such policy solutions as construction of a wall along the Texas-Mexican border and mass deportations.

But there were also grievances in the Caribbean community against the Clintons, and Trump sought to take advantage of that.

Trump visited the Little Haiti neighborhood in Miami and praised Haitians for their contributions to the United States. Haitian-born columnist Joel Dreyfuss wrote in the Washington Post of how Trump maneuvered the resentment Haitians have toward the Clintons  to sway the vote.

The situation stems from grievances over President Bill Clinton’s handling of Haitian immigrants, which included jailing some in the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Registered Democrat Karrine Sylvan, 27, a dental assistant from Mill Basin, was aware of her Haitian relatives’ dismay toward the Clintons but decided against Trump due to what she saw as his misogynistic attitude. Sylvan was disappointed that the United States was not ready to become the 45th country to choose a female head of state.

“Trump’s derogatory remarks about sexually assaulting women really upset me. Clinton led a positive campaign that inspired young women around the world but at the end of the day she only lost because he is a man,” Sylvan said.

Photo: Karrine Sylvan shares the dismay within Brooklyn’s Caribbean community over the election of Donald Trump as president.

By DEREK NORMAN

Residents of East Harlem are taking what they say are defensive actions to prepare for the Trump administration’s anticipated policies on immigration, with protests, forums and arranging legal counsel.

“El Barrio,” or Spanish Harlem, is a neighborhood of about 126,300 residents, with a Hispanic population of about 55 percent. About 1 in 5 residents are documented immigrants, and many more, especially a large number from Mexico, are undocumented. Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential race has clearly unsettled the community.

“It’s almost like after a hurricane when you first check your loved ones, then look around to see all the destruction and you begin to realize how many people were affected,” said Jessica Sabia, director of college counseling at the Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem, an all-girls high school on 106th Street. “There’s been a lot of uneasiness and uncertainty. I think a lot of people were preparing for this, but still a lot of people at the school and in our community, including myself, just kind of assumed that this would never happen. Maybe I was naïve, but I wasn’t prepared.”

During his campaign, Trump advocated deporting millions of illegal immigrants, building a wall on the border of Mexico, revoking an executive order in which President Barack Obama deferred deportation of immigrants who entered the country illegally as children and overhauling immigration law. All of this would have a direct effect on many residents of East Harlem.

Non-profit organizations began community outreach almost immediately to assist undocumented immigrants in the community. The Legal Aid Society hosted a forum on Nov. 17 in the basement of St. Paul’s Church at 113 E. 117 St.; attendees were allowed to be anonymous. The group provided free legal counsel and information on current immigration law to residents, who had many questions.

“Nothing can change until Jan. 20, when he’s inaugurated. So even though he’s saying all these scary things, we have the time now to sort through our resources,” said Anthony Posada, an immigration attorney for the Legal Aid Society. “He was saying he’s going to deport 11 million people, and now he’s saying only two or three million, so we’re going to have to wait and see.”

One threat that is troubling residents of East Harlem is Trump’s plan to remove Obama’s Deferred Action upon Childhood Arrival policy, or DACA, which allows children who arrived under the age of 16 to work and attend school. It provides some protection against deportation.

“For people who have DACA now, and the people who have to reapply in the next six months, it’s okay to go ahead with the process, as the government already knows about you,” said Posada. “But if you don’t have it already, what we’re suggesting here at the Legal Aid, is that you should not apply. The government does not know about you and this is not a safe time to bring yourself to their attention.”

DACA and Temporary Protected Status, which permits exceptions on a humanitarian basis for emigrants of certain troubled countries, are the only immigration policies that Trump can remove by executive order; anything else needs to be approved by Congress.

Many immigrants in East Harlem who were not qualified for DACA said that they have been speaking with attorneys for advice. Their attorneys suggested they deliberately put themselves into the deportation process, to argue their case in front of a judge, which, according to the Legal Aid Society attorneys, is a “terrible idea.”

Many residents are complaining that they cannot trust attorneys because some are trying to take advantage of the circumstances, by accepting money for legal assistance, knowing that the client will not make progress. As one woman said, several “notarios” have already approached her.

Notarios is the phrase given to notaries public Latin America, more formally,  notario publicos. But, as opposed to the United States, in most Latin American countries, notary publics are the equivalent of a person who has received a license to practice law. Lost in that translation is the opportunity for individuals to hustle immigrants into paying for false advice and incorrect forms.

“I know there’s a lot of notarios out there saying ‘if you pay me $10,000, I’ll get you that 10-year-thing,’” Posada warned those in attendance. “But it’s not that easy. If you pay that money to the notario, when it comes time for deportation, they’re not going to be able to help you because you have no defense.”

“One thing we’ve seen a lot is when people are approached in the street by police, is that there don’t have legal reason to call someone over to them,” said Posada. “But people fail to produce identification, and that could lead to being detained until the person can be identified. So the main thing we are trying to get people to understand is that they need to carry an ID with them at all times. They are afraid of being identified, but it could actually save them.”

While attendees at Legal Aid Society forum were middle-aged, younger members of the community were also looking to take initiative.

“I know there is one teacher [at the Young Women’s Leadership School] that is trying to encourage love and peace, which is not the stance of some other teachers. So we aren’t building a generation that is just so angry,” Sabia said. “I want to work with these students to help them understand their immigration status and what they can do. A lot of things they can’t be confident about, but at least they’ll be educated and can tell their families. Because I think a lot of families just don’t know what to right now.”

The teacher referred to had her students cut out paper hearts, which she intended to hand out in front of Trump Tower the next weekend.

“When we first heard about it, I didn’t react as much as others. Some of my friends were coming up to me asking, ‘so, are you ready to go back?’ and didn’t really bother me,” said a 17-year-old student at the Young Women’s Leadership School, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. “It’s going to affect me because I wasn’t born here, but we were kind of taking it as a joke. I know we shouldn’t because a lot of people really are going to be sent back. Everybody at school started talking about it and then when I started to see people crying, I started crying too.”

One anti-Trump protest march took place on Sunday, Nov. 18, led by an activist group called the ANSWER Coalition. A handful of people congregated on the corner of 116th Street and Lexington Avenue before marching with their signs to the South Bronx.

The protesters, mainly young whites who described themselves as socialists, carried signs and banners saying that the group “stood by immigrants” and was there to defend them.

“I appreciate what they are trying to do here, but it’s Sunday. A lot of people are just getting out of church, some have to go to work, and we just can’t put ourselves out there like that,” said one East Harlem resident who refused to give his name.

A lot of immigrant residents feel they can’t demonstrate in public or resist, as they are more vulnerable to consequences because of their immigration status. But many expressed a sense of unity as resources and supportive conversations were organized in the community of East Harlem.

“This means that we just need to work harder than before. The day the results came, my teachers had talks about what could happen and I started crying,” said a 17-year-old student at the Young Women’s Leadership School who is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. “I started crying not because of the results, but because my community was coming together in support and that is going to make us stronger.”

Photos and video by Derek Norman.

Colombian citizens living in New York City  are keeping tabs on the peace agreements being sorted out in Bogota between President Juan Manuel Santos and the guerilla-rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

The 52-year-long war in Colombia between the government and the left-wing rebels is historically one of the longest wars in the region, affecting residents across the country as the government in the capital city of Bogota fought the FARC guerillas in the jungles stretching up to the North. The treaty, for which President Santos recently won the Nobel Prize, was surprisingly voted down by a slim margin on Oct. 2. This came as a shock to most Colombians in New York City.

“The people who lived through war voted ‘yes’ to peace and the people who voted ‘no,’ never lived through it. We are a little selfish, because we don’t see the war, we don’t live the war,” said Milton Carvajal Peleaz, 29, who is visiting the United States from Manizales, Colombia. “Why [do] the people that live in the cities not want the guerillas in Congress? It isn’t fair because they never lived the war. But the people on the farms, in the countryside, they say ‘I don’t care, I don’t care, just no more war.”

According to a 2012 Pew Research Center report, 14 percent of the 1.1 million Colombians living in the United States reside in New York City. To ensure a chance to vote on the peace treaty, polling sites were set up for Colombians at the Colombian Consulate in Midtown, throughout Queens, and in parts of New Jersey.

“I was in Washington, D.C. recently and there were political analysts there and they tried to explain how the ‘no’ vote would affect the different communities in our culture, like black people, the farmers and women,” said Lilliana Bernal, 32, a native of Manizales, Colombia, residing in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. “It’s not only a deal between FARC and the government, it’s a change for our people. It will change our legacy. What the ‘no’ vote means … is uncertainty.”

Currently, the ceasefire remains between FARC and the Colombian government while President Santos sorts out revisions of the treaty and discusses differences with opposing politicians. The uncertainty in the outcome is sparking activism among a younger generation of Colombians in both the U.S. and Colombia.

“Living here, it doesn’t affect me directly, but it is my country, which I love so much,” said Maria Isabella, a student at Guttman Community College in Manhattan, and an immigrant from Bogota. “Even though they have been negotiating for four years, it’s only now that the people are really getting involved. I want peace but I want peace that favors the majority of the Colombians. I don’t want a peace manipulated.”

Colombians are taking to the streets in Bogota, protesting, demonstrating and following every step of the peace-treaty negotiations, while residents in New York City are voicing their positions and maintaining involvement heavily through social media.

“It shouldn’t have been a political thing. It was about the people. But our country is part of a very exciting moment because people are going to the streets and fighting for their rights and for peace,” said Bernal. “I’m sad that I’m not there now because this is a really important moment. It’s the young people who want peace and everyday they are marching. Marching for peace now – for a new deal now while there is this ceasefire – before people go back to their arms.”

Photos by Derek Norman. Top: The Colombian consulate in Manhattan was one of the locations in New York where Colombians voted on a peace treaty.

City Council members have urged the city’s Department of Aging to provide more language interpreters to community-based programs that work directly with immigrant seniors.

At a hearing held Feb. 26 in City Hall, members of the Council committees on immigration and aging focused attention on programs serving clusters of senior citizens known as Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities.

Caryn Resnick, deputy commissioner of the city Department for the Aging, said the agency has provided supportive services for the elderly in these communities, including preventive health and wellness activities and almost all participate in a Health Indicators Initiative. She said that 23 of the 28 programs serving the retirement communities have large numbers of retired immigrants.

These programs “have appropriate staffing to meet language access needs, organize cultural activities that interest various groups and coordinate programs geared toward immigrant seniors,” she said.

As an example, Resnick pointed to culturally sensitive programming such as Café Con Leche, a weekly meeting at the Isabella Geriatric Ft. George VISTAS in Manhattan, which is geared towards Latino seniors. The meetings provide activity and support groups as well as volunteering opportunities for Spanish speaking-seniors at the facility.

However, the City Council members said that the current model needs to do more for the growing number of senior immigrants who find comfort in places where their language is spoken.

“Immigrants have a tendency to get involved with their own communities, and that would keep them away from this NORC programs,” said Council member Paul Vallone (D-Astoria). “They’re going to continue going to places where there is a comfort level and we need to find a way to provide that comfort for them.”

Vallone said that one of the best courses of action would be to provide the 28 NORC facilities in New York City with language interpreters until the Department of Aging and City Council can work on a better system for the program.

“There is a sense of urgency here, and I commend DFTA [Department for the Aging] for working with us, but this is not enough,” said Council member Carlos Menchaca (D-Brooklyn), chairman of the Council Committee on Immigration. “Our committee is committed to making sure that immigrant seniors live healthy lives as well as civic lives in New York City, but we need a new budget and policies.”