Protesters
SJ immigrant youth grapple with ICE
By Alina Ta SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Immigrant community members in San José are concerned for their safety after seeing various policy changes under President Donald J. Trump that targets immigrants and multiple ICE sightings in San José.
On Jan. 20, Trump signed an executive order to secure his plan to detain and remove all “aliens” who enter or remain in violation of federal law and to stop immigrants from entering the U.S., according to a webpage from The White House.
This includes placing criminal charges against “illegal aliens” who violate immigration laws and those who support these individuals, according to the White House.
“Dani,” a fourth-year education student at San José State who opted to use a pseudonym because of concerns for her safety, said she doesn’t
feel safe anymore as an undocumented student.
Dani said her parents brought her to the U.S. when she was 1-year-old because they wanted her
UndocuSpartans, a resource center at SJSU that supports students who have immigration concerns, provides legal services for no charge to
the Immigration Legal Defense, a nonprofit agency focused on providing legal services specialized in immigration, according
220 family members and 44 alumni, according to data collected by the nonprofit.
Dani has been speaking to her professors about
other students,” she said. SJSU Responds
On Jan. 20, Benjamine Huffman, acting secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, issued two directives related to immigration, according to a webpage from the department.
They
Norma Citlali Martinez Coordinator
Activos
to the same source.
to have a chance to go to college.
“They didn’t feel safe back in Mexico,” Martinez said. “They saw what the cartels were doing and they just wanted me to have a better education.”
students, recent alumni, employees and their immediate families, according to the center’s webpage.
These legal services are provided by the CSU system through
Between 2019 and 2023, the Immigration Legal Defense provided one-on-one consultations to 806 individuals at SJSU, including 525 students, 17 faculty or staff members,
her concerns for her personal safety.
“I don’t feel as safe anymore, because I feel like I always have to look behind my shoulder to make sure nothing’s gonna happen to me or to
The first directive rescinds old guidelines from the Biden Administration that restricted ICE agents from entering “sensitive” areas, according to the department.
“Sensitive” areas included schools, houses of worship, hospitals, funerals, weddings and public demonstrations, according to a Jan. 22 article from ABC News.
Rafael Alvarez, the commander for UPD’s operations bureau, said it is protocol for UPD officers to avoid all possible interactions with ICE.
ALINA TA | SPARTAN DAILY
IMMIGRATION
Continued from page 1
All CSU universities do not have the authority to prohibit federal immigration enforcement officers from entering their campus to public areas if their purpose is to enforce federal law, according to an FAQ from the CSU that was sent to staff and faculty members on Wednesday.
“We don’t want to participate. We're not going to participate,” Alvarez said. “It’s actually against our policy to assist and provide immigration any information whatsoever.”
Alvarez said it is a common courtesy for outside law enforcement agencies to notify UPD when they will step onto university property, but this is not legally required.
Ana Navarette, a program director for UndocuSpartans, said her department at SJSU helps undocumented students connect with different resources, including Santa Clara County’s Rapid Response Network, the county’s Office of Immigrant Relations and legal services.
Navarette said UndocuSpartans and SJSU never have a list of who is undocumented on campus.
“If (we) are subpoenaed down the line, (we) don't have those lists to be able to provide that (information of who is undocumented) for (ICE),” Navarette said.
Campus police officers will also not contact, detail, question or arrest an individual solely on the suspicion of an individual’s immigration status, according to the same FAQ.
This includes not collaborating with immigration enforcement authorities to investigate, detail or arrest individuals for violation of federal
I know that this is going to make people stay home. They're not going to go out.
hope that (interactions between students and ICE) wouldn’t turn rambunctious — for lack of better words — where students want to all of a sudden protest and get up in their face and things like that,” Alvarez said. “That would cause more safety concerns.”
ICE in San José
immigration law, according to the same source.
Alvarez said UPD will never stop campus community members from peacefully assembling and protesting, but he hopes students, staff and faculty members will also avoid having any escalated interactions with ICE.
UPD may be called in to interact with ICE in order to prevent injuries or property damage, according to the FAQ.
“For students, I would
Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who represents District 5 in East Side San José, said he received around 30 calls from parents and children asking for the city for help after the Santa Clara County’s Rapid Response Network confirmed there were two ICE sightings in San José.
On Sunday and Monday, the network confirmed that ICE officers stopped at two shopping plazas in East Side San José, according to a Jan. 28 article previously reported by the Spartan Daily.
Ortiz, who was at the scene when volunteers from the network witnessed ICE detain a female Colombian on Sunday afternoon, said the parking lot was empty for a few hours after the
officers left the location.
“The community was in shock and frightened,” Ortiz said. “I know that this is going to make people stay home. They’re not going to go out . . . They’re not gonna go outside because they're scared.”
Officers from the San José Police Department and city employees are not allowed to assist ICE in arresting a person solely based on their immigration status, according to a memorandum that was passed by City Hall on Jan. 15.
Concerns from San Jose’s youth
Norma Citlali Martinez, a coordinator for Jóvenes Activos, said she thinks those who believe ICE is a good thing should focus on who is being targeted and taken away.
“If you see ICE as a good thing, I think you're focusing on the main message of, ‘We are just targeting criminals,’ and you're not looking into who is being taken away, who is being targeted, who is afraid and how it’s affecting people,” Martinez said. “I encourage everyone to have
For students, I would hope that (interactions between students and ICE) wouldn't turn rambunctious.
Ana Navarette, UndocuSpartans program director
an open mind and to not just focus on one thing, but (to) look into the whole picture” Jóvenes Activos is a youthled program at SOMOS Mayfair, an organization that supports working families with the goal of addressing systemic inequities, according to its website.
The program aims to build youth leadership by teaching members to organize and support issues in the local community, including demanding equitable distribution of county and city resources for families, according to another webpage from SOMOS Mayfair.
Martinez said youth members at SOMOS Mayfair have shared that they are afraid of ICE.
She said some youth members have shared they want to return to remote learning and go back to taking classes on Zoom.
“They are afraid that they can't even learn in peace, that they could just be sitting, learning, trying their best, struggling and ICE could just come in at any moment and take them and
start searching,” Martinez said.
Dani said it is very terrifying and upsetting for her to hear that ICE is allowed to enter schools to detain immigrants. She said she is afraid of being targeted even though she has never committed a crime.
“They’re targeting (immigrants who have committed crimes), but they're also going to target me no matter what, and other students from other ethnicities as well,” Dani said. Maya Carrillo contributed to this report.
Protesters march and chant through Santana Row following the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20 afternoon.
ALINA TA | SPARTAN DAILY
Peter Ortiz San José District 5 Councilmember
Multiple protesters hold signs showing their solidarity with the immigrant community in San José at the corner of Winchester Boulevard.
Follow Alina on Instagram @mniatailmp
Students shed Year of the Dragon
By Nageena Shinwari And Blaze Dayton STAFF WRITERS
Students of San José State gathered together for celebrations hosted by MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center and SJSU’s Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment in the Student Union to welcome a new year.
Students celebrated the Lunar New Year in many different ways during the week.
Hao Le, an engineering technology major, came out for the free boba but embraced the celebration and expressed their appreciation for the culture.
“I’m here for the boba and to hang out with friends,” Le said.“It’s a fun holiday for others, You have a lot of activities that you can do, and learning a new culture is always fun.”
Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival in China, includes Chinese New Year, Seollal in Korea, and Tét in Vietnam, according to a Jan. 28 NBC news article.
Alina Nguyen, a business analytics major, posed in front of a red backdrop featuring the Chinese zodiac alongside a large snake balloon sculpture in the Student Union while wearing
The SJSU Vietnamese Student Association Lion Dance Club danced throughout the Student Union on Wednesday morning from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Lion, according to the same article.
The intention was that the students really wanted to see more of their cultures on campus, especially our folks who celebrate the Lunar New Year. So, our folks in the Chinese community, the Vietnamese community, and even the Korean community.
Jinni Pradhan Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment program director
áo dài, a traditional Vietnamese dress.
“It is so fun, there are many Vietnamese people, so you are learning how to appreciate cultures, and you get more exposure to different cultures around you,” Nguyen said.
The Lion Dance goes back about one thousand years is the traditional dance of the Lunar New Year, according to an article by the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project.
Jinni Pradhan, the inaugural program director for the Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment, helped organize the events.
“The intention was that the students really wanted to see more of their cultures on campus, especially our folks who celebrate the Lunar New Year,” Pradhan said.
“So, our folks in the Chinese community, the Vietnamese community, and even the Korean community. Lunar New Year is celebrated in many ways across communities within East Asia and Southeast Asia.”
Lunar New Year is China's biggest holiday celebration. This year it falls between Jan. 28 and Feb. 4, and 2025 marks the ending of the Year of the Dragon, according to an article by the Independent.
Independent. The Year of the Snake is all about shedding bad energy. This Lunar New Year, the snake is expected to bring about transformation and new beginnings, according to a Tuesday NBC article.
The lions express joy and happiness, and the dance features different styles of lion, known as the Northern and Southern
This year is the Year of the Snake on the Chinese zodiac calendar, a 12-year cycle represented by animals, according to the same article by the
personal and strong ties to the new year
holiday.
“My parents came from Vietnam from the ‘80 (and) ‘90s,” Tran said. “ When Lunar New Year happened, we (got) to have the
temple and talk to family overseas.”
Finishing off the season at SJSU, a Lunar New Year lunch event is planned for Thursday, Jan. 30, from 12-2 p.m. at the Dining Commons, according to a MOSAIC Jan. 23 Instagram post.
“For Vietnamese or Chinese students, it is important to learn about other cultures and how to celebrate them,” Tran said. “There are other calendars like ours, and it’s great acknowledgment and it’s just really fun; firecrackers and lions, and to learn about other cultures.”
has
strongest connections with the culture, we (got) to the
PHOTOS BY NAGEENA SHINWARI | SPARTAN DAILY
Alina Nguyen, business analytics student, poses as her friends take her picture in front of the twelve animals of the Chinese z odiac.
Emily Tran, a graphic design major,
Trump is abusing the internet
Since I was a child, I have always had the curiosity to explore the world around me.
Like countless others in my generation, I have had access to smartphones, tablets and the Internet.
Growing up in an age in which technology is a part of our everyday lives, it’s hard to grasp that the generation we’re living in can be influenced by those who aren’t even part of our generation.
Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, announced the company’s change of plans to end its fact-checking program, according to a Jan. 7 NBC News article.
My parents taught me how to be wary of the possibility of malicious intent in the real world.
However, I feel like no matter how many times I’ve been taught to think on my feet, the internet today has drawn me to remain mentally sedentary on my ass.
Meta recently agreed to pay $25 million to settle the lawsuit with President Donald Trump for suspending his accounts in 2021 after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to a Wednesday Guardian article.
Trump thinks it’s ok to talk down about people in Springfield, saying they “are
Published opinions and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of the Spartan Daily, the School of Journalism and Mass
eating the dogs, eating the cats.”
The idea originated from white-supremacist sites online and relentlessly insisted that non-white immigrants are dirty and dangerous, according to a Sept. 11 NY magazine article.
If Trump is allowed to do whatever floats his boat, his oversized ego would tip that boat over.
The internet has power, and that’s the last thing I want in the hands of a convicted felon.
To see our country’s fate in the hands of someone so stupid he cuts corners but always misses the point. I think he misinterpreted the definition of
cutting-edge technology.
Some people might disagree, but I say Trump’s ass is so heavy with guilt that if he were to fall backward he would go straight down to hell.
Elon Musk and Trump may have riled up their MAGA hat supporters, but those people are so oblivious to reality that they would believe the president if he were to photoshop himself into the Last Supper.
MAGA supporters call former President Joe Biden old, but Trump’s bag of tricks is so old his ancestral genes mutated into several species of brainless dinosaurs crossbreeded with cavemen to kick off the Mesozoic Era.
Trump's psychological
and physical features are ancient and his hair is so unkempt to the point that his cheeto-faced ancestors could have gone extinct when the Ice Age began.
It may be as the experts say, you can’t have carrot cake without icing, just as you can’t have Trump without his right-hand nut Vice President JD Vance.
“The episode is an example of the ease with which falsehoods framed as jokes can take off in our current information environment, and points to the limits of X's current content moderation policies when it comes to slowing the spread of false information,”
NPR journalist Jude JoffeBlock wrote in an Aug. 1,
2024 article. I feel as if Trump is going to take people’s rights away as president. If Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X,won’t step up and press the mute button on Trump, then who is there to make sure the next generation still has the ability to blow the whistle? Trump should have been convicted and incarcerated for domestic terrorism. If we really support the due process of law, we would prohibit him from running for Commander-In-Chief and force him to go through mental health rehabilitation.
Navin Krishnan CONTRIBUTOR
Follow Spartan Daily on X (formerly Twitter)
GRAPHIC BY KAYA HENKES-POWER