ICE agents have become some sort of boogeyman among the American people. It wasn’t just immigrants, both legal and undocumented, who feared them. Children were also expressing their distress over what was happening in America. One teen from California decided to speak up at an Alhambra City Hall council meeting about ICE and the effect their actions were having on children and students.
During the meeting, the teen explained that he had seen many anxious and fearful looks from his fellow students whenever the topic of ICE was brought up in the classroom. The teen said that he had a lot of friends who were Mexican, Latino, and Asian. Because of their skin color and background, many of these kids were understandably afraid that either they or their parents were going to be the next target of ICE agents in California. He said that he often felt angry and furious whenever he saw the news showing people being detained and the way protesters were treated.
According to him, it felt like the American government was collapsing, and young people were being forced to grow up too fast because of it. He also said that he wanted to send a message to people who had been detained and trapped in detention facilities, telling them that they should not give up or let ICE agents wear them down.
Many people online were impressed that this California teen chose to speak up about ICE agents in such a public setting. A lot of viewers agreed with what the teen was saying and felt that the situation in America was not acceptable. “THIS KID IS GOING BIG PLACES,” one user wrote.
Others praised the boy’s parents for raising their son to be brave enough to speak up for those who could not. “Good job, parents. What a remarkable young man. He has a good heart,” one commenter wrote.
Some users remarked that politicians should learn from this teen, pointing out that young people seemed to be the ones who still had integrity and a strong sense of justice. “It’s going to be the youth who change this world. They lead with their hearts, aren’t afraid to express themselves, understand right from wrong, and are brilliant,” one user said.
A handful of users also expressed disappointment in the government itself. The fact that a California teen felt the need to speak up about ICE was seen as proof of how serious and damaging the current situation had become. “This young man is correct. The government is collapsing, and we cannot allow this to continue. This young man is the future. What are we doing as the older generation to make sure these kids have a future? Keep fighting. Never break, never surrender. United we stand. Power to the people,” one commenter wrote.
