Wed Jan 22 16:20:39 UTC 2025: **Trump Administration Ends Protection for Immigrants at Schools, Churches, and Hospitals**

**Washington D.C.** – The Trump administration has rescinded a decade-long policy that shielded undocumented immigrants from arrest at sensitive locations such as schools, churches, and hospitals. This decision, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has sparked widespread fear and condemnation among immigrant communities and advocacy groups.

The policy change affects Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), effectively allowing agents to conduct arrests in these previously protected areas. While no major enforcement actions have yet been reported, President Trump has confirmed that increased immigration enforcement is imminent.

The DHS statement justifying the change claimed that criminals were using these locations as safe havens, a claim unsupported by evidence. Critics, including Olivia Golden of the Center for Law and Social Policy, argue that the decision will deter immigrants from accessing essential services like healthcare and education, potentially harming both immigrants and their US citizen children. They also express concern about the psychological impact on children who may witness the arrest of a parent.

Immigrants interviewed by the Associated Press expressed deep anxiety. Iris Gonzalez, a Guatemalan immigrant in Boston, voiced fears about attending court hearings or even driving, questioning whether she should continue working. Another immigrant, Carmen from the San Francisco Bay Area, expressed disbelief and concern for her grandchildren’s safety, though she found some reassurance in her school’s promise to warn her of any safety concerns.

The policy shift is one of several actions taken by the Trump administration to tighten immigration enforcement, including declaring a national emergency at the border and seeking to end birthright citizenship. Additionally, the Department of Justice has instructed federal prosecutors to investigate local officials in “sanctuary jurisdictions” that limit cooperation with federal immigration agents. This directive also encourages prosecutors to charge defendants with the most serious provable crime, reducing prosecutorial discretion. These combined actions are expected to significantly impact undocumented immigrants across the United States.

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