{"id":515,"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=515"},"modified":"2026-01-12T09:24:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T14:24:38","slug":"uconn-students-fear-for-immigrant-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/uconn-students-fear-for-immigrant-families\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn students fear for immigrant families  "},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Anna Heqi\u00admi & Kar\u00adla Perez
UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut stu\u00addents from immi\u00adgrant fam\u00adi\u00adlies are post\u00adpon\u00ading trav\u00adel, check\u00ading in reg\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly with par\u00adents and loved ones and wor\u00adry\u00ading about their futures as Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump\u2019s admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion pur\u00adsues an aggres\u00adsive depor\u00adta\u00adtion agen\u00adda with the goal of deport\u00ading 1 mil\u00adlion immi\u00adgrants annu\u00adal\u00adly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Stu\u00addents say that aggres\u00adsive roundups around the coun\u00adtry are caus\u00ading fear and anx\u00adi\u00adety for them\u00adselves and their fam\u00adi\u00adlies.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emer\u00adson Zece\u00adna, cofounder of the UConn Chap\u00adter of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Stu\u00addents for a Dream, said he wor\u00adries con\u00adstant\u00adly about his moth\u00ader, a Guatemalan immi\u00adgrant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sad to even have to think about your mom not answer\u00ading and imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly have to think she was detained, she has been pulled over, and now she\u2019s being processed and sent back to her home coun\u00adtry,\u201d Zece\u00adna said. \u201cI\u2019m always tex\u00adting her and I real\u00adly do feel some sort of pan\u00adic when she is not respond\u00ading to me by the minute.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zece\u00adna helped orga\u00adnize a \u201cKnow-your-Rights\u201d pre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion on cam\u00adpus in late Octo\u00adber \u2014 one of sev\u00ader\u00adal events on cam\u00adpus designed to offer sup\u00adport and infor\u00adma\u00adtion about immi\u00adgra\u00adtion enforce\u00adment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion was led by two attor\u00adneys who explained the Lak\u00aden Riley Act<\/a>, signed into law in late Jan\u00adu\u00adary 2025, that makes it more dif\u00adfi\u00adcult for detained indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals to receive bond. The law requires that any undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded immi\u00adgrant who is charged with or admits hav\u00ading com\u00admit\u00adted bur\u00adglary, shoplift\u00ading, assault of a law enforce\u00adment offi\u00adcer or any seri\u00adous felonies be detained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means if some\u00adone gets arrest\u00aded for shoplift\u00ading and ICE detains the indi\u00advid\u00adual, they can\u2019t request bond from a judge even if the shoplift\u00ading charge gets dis\u00admissed the next day, attor\u00adney Ben\u00adjamin Halde\u00adman said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nate Fox, an attor\u00adney with the Immi\u00adgrant Children\u2019s Jus\u00adtice Project, offered per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adized assis\u00adtance with stu\u00addents\u2019 legal ques\u00adtions after the pre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anoth\u00ader event in Novem\u00adber served to edu\u00adcate stu\u00addents on their con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal rights. The \u201cMigrant Teach-In\u201d includ\u00aded a talk by Sis\u00adter Mary Jude Lazarus, a nun and direc\u00adtor of the Office for His\u00adpan\u00adic Min\u00adistry of the Dio\u00adcese of Nor\u00adwich.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lazarus told the sto\u00adry of an undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded Guatemalan man liv\u00ading in Willi\u00adman\u00adtic who was detained by ICE for five months after con\u00adfirm\u00ading to offi\u00adcers that the per\u00adson they were look\u00ading for was his cousin. Lazarus said the man had a right to remain silent but spoke out of fear. He decid\u00aded to self-deport along with his wife and their child, who is a U.S. cit\u00adi\u00adzen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s dev\u00adas\u00adtat\u00ading,\u201d Lazarus said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UndocuHuskies, a group that rep\u00adre\u00adsents undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded stu\u00addents at UConn, has asked the uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty about safe spaces on cam\u00adpus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the first day of Trump\u2019s sec\u00adond term, the Depart\u00adment of Home\u00adland Secu\u00adri\u00adty rescind\u00aded the Biden-era \u201csen\u00adsi\u00adtive loca\u00adtion\u201d pro\u00adto\u00adcols that restrict\u00aded immi\u00adgra\u00adtion enforce\u00adment in cer\u00adtain areas such as church\u00ades, hos\u00adpi\u00adtals and uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty cam\u00adpus\u00ades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At UConn, cam\u00adpus admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion stat\u00aded in a let\u00adter on Jan. 28, 2025, that uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty police would not ques\u00adtion stu\u00addents about immi\u00adgra\u00adtion sta\u00adtus and would not detain them sole\u00adly on the belief that they are undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded. The let\u00adter also stat\u00aded that, under the fed\u00ader\u00adal Fam\u00adi\u00adly Edu\u00adca\u00adtion\u00adal Rights and Pri\u00adva\u00adcy Act, the uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty is pro\u00adhib\u00adit\u00aded from shar\u00ading infor\u00adma\u00adtion about any student\u2019s class sched\u00adule or class\u00adroom loca\u00adtion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ICE is not allowed to enter pri\u00advate spaces on cam\u00adpus unless they have a judi\u00adcial war\u00adrant, accord\u00ading to an arti\u00adcle<\/a> in UConn Today. Pri\u00advate spaces include \u201cres\u00adi\u00addence halls, fac\u00adul\u00adty and staff offices, clin\u00adi\u00adcal care spaces, and oth\u00ader spaces that are locked when not in use or can only be accessed using a key card.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aleena Chaudry, co-pres\u00adi\u00addent of UndocuHuskies, said the group is cau\u00adtious about how it pro\u00admotes its events.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know who has any harm\u00adful inten\u00adtions,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit more trick\u00adi\u00ader now that things have real\u00adly kicked off with depor\u00adta\u00adtions. We have to nav\u00adi\u00adgate those chal\u00adlenges when we actu\u00adal\u00adly have phys\u00adi\u00adcal meet\u00adings to be able to make sure that they are in spaces that are untouch\u00adable to ICE agents.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UConn Dean of Stu\u00addents Fany DeJes\u00fas Han\u00adnon said her office is com\u00admit\u00adted to find\u00ading ways to sup\u00adport stu\u00addents and has con\u00adduct\u00aded \u201cKnow-your-Rights\u201d work\u00adshops on immi\u00adgra\u00adtion since 2012. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as fears have grown on cam\u00adpus, Han\u00adnon said steps had to be tak\u00aden to pro\u00adtect mem\u00adbers of the university\u2019s Undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded Stu\u00addent Advi\u00adso\u00adry Board Com\u00admit\u00adtee. Com\u00admit\u00adtee mem\u00adbers, both pro\u00adfes\u00adsors and stu\u00addents, expressed con\u00adcerns about their names being pub\u00adlic, so the uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty cre\u00adat\u00aded a pass\u00adword-pro\u00adtect\u00aded por\u00adtal.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe took those mea\u00adsure\u00adments to keep folks \u2014 I don\u2019t want to use \u2018pro\u00adtect\u00aded\u2019 because I think it\u2019s very hard these days to even say that we\u2019re going to keep you safe \u2014 but at least give them some peace of mind,\u201d Han\u00adnon said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emer\u00adson Zece\u00adna, UConn chap\u00adter of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Stu\u00addents for a Dream cofounder<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emer\u00adson Zece\u00adna tries to call his mom every hour to ensure she is all right. He con\u00adstant\u00adly texts her and when she does not imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly respond, he instant\u00adly fears the worst: depor\u00adta\u00adtion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emer\u00adson Zece\u00adna hang\u00ading up a poster for a \u201cKnow-your-Rights\u201d meet\u00ading. Pho\u00adto by Eli\u00adjah Polance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Zecena\u2019s moth\u00ader is an undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded immi\u00adgrant from Guatemala. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pri\u00ador to Trump\u2019s return to office, Zece\u00adna, a sopho\u00admore polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00adence major, said he would not wor\u00adry about his moth\u00ader get\u00adting deport\u00aded. Now, as ICE detain\u00adments are hap\u00adpen\u00ading in Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut, he said he is con\u00adstant\u00adly fright\u00adened and anx\u00adious.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSee\u00ading all the inhu\u00admane actions \u2026  I have to be call\u00ading her con\u00adsis\u00adtent\u00adly, check\u00ading up on her, hav\u00ading that extra bur\u00adden and fear that if my mom doesn\u2019t answer the phone, my mind imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly jumps to the worst,\u201d Zece\u00adna said. \u201cIt\u2019s such a hor\u00adri\u00adble thing to have, and I know it\u2019s a shared expe\u00adri\u00adence.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zece\u00adna said the ramped up immi\u00adgra\u00adtion enforce\u00adment led him to start the UConn chap\u00adter of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Stu\u00addents for a Dream in Sep\u00adtem\u00adber 2025. He got involved with the orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion in high school after he had con\u00adcerns about immi\u00adgrant access to health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he wants to \u201cbe a voice to the voice\u00adless and speak out against these injus\u00adtices when no one else choos\u00ades to.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nurs\u00ading Stu\u00addent Giselle<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giselle, a sopho\u00admore nurs\u00ading major, said she wor\u00adries con\u00adstant\u00adly about her undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded par\u00adents get\u00adting deport\u00aded. Her moth\u00ader is from Peru, and her father is from Ecuador. Fear of ICE has kept her father from attend\u00ading court to legal\u00adly stay longer in the U.S., she said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Por\u00adtrait of Giselle stand\u00ading in UCon\u00adn\u2019s Stu\u00addent Union. Giselle\u2019s moth\u00ader is an undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded immi\u00adgrant from Peru, and her father is undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded from Ecuador. Pho\u00adto by Anna Heqi\u00admi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Giselle, who asked to be iden\u00adti\u00adfied by her mid\u00addle name to pro\u00adtect her fam\u00adi\u00adly, said both par\u00adents now spend most of their time hid\u00ading at home. \u201cThey\u2019re scared to go shop\u00adping, pick up my broth\u00ader \u2014 they\u2019re scared to do any\u00adthing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her father is afraid to go out to cer\u00adtain places, so their fam\u00adi\u00adly friend some\u00adtimes goes shop\u00adping for him. If the fam\u00adi\u00adly does go out, Giselle said it\u2019s sim\u00adply to go through the Dairy Queen dri\u00adve-thru and then imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly back home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt just takes one out\u00ading and you can get caught,\u201d she explained.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giselle keeps track of pol\u00adi\u00adcy changes from the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion and shares new infor\u00adma\u00adtion she learns with her par\u00adents in hopes of keep\u00ading them safe. She recent\u00adly gave mem\u00adbers of her fam\u00adi\u00adly red cards<\/a> that list an individual\u2019s con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal rights dur\u00ading ICE encoun\u00adters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they get deport\u00aded, she wor\u00adries that she will have to drop out of school and take care of her younger broth\u00ader. Giselle is on a full schol\u00adar\u00adship, so it would be a painful and dif\u00adfi\u00adcult choice to leave school, she said, but \u201cfam\u00adi\u00adly comes first.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan, co-pres\u00adi\u00addent of UndocuHuskies <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan, an undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded stu\u00addent from Brazil who is a senior at UConn, said he isn\u2019t wor\u00adried about being deport\u00aded him\u00adself but is con\u00adcerned about his father.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan of UndocuHuskies tak\u00ading notes after class. Ryan is an undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded stu\u00addent from Brazil. Pho\u00adto by Eli\u00adjah Polance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the two decades his father has been in the U.S., he has worked mul\u00adti\u00adple jobs \u2014 plumber, car\u00adpen\u00adter, con\u00adstruc\u00adtion work\u00ader and accoun\u00adtant.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan said his father is a hard work\u00ader and, like many immi\u00adgrants, has paid tax\u00ades and con\u00adtributed to the econ\u00ado\u00admy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe cares about work\u00ading and doing what\u2019s right,\u201d said Ryan, who asked that his last name not be used to pro\u00adtect his par\u00adents. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want all his work to be thrown away.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sophie, Ukrain\u00adian Refugee<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sophie, a UConn stu\u00addent who came to the U.S. from Ukraine in Feb\u00adru\u00adary 2022, said she feels stuck here, afraid that if she leaves to vis\u00adit fam\u00adi\u00adly she won\u2019t be able to return. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Ukranian flag hangs outside a building across the street from the Embassy of Russia in Helsinki, Finland, on 13 July 2024.<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Imm-UConnStudents-1024x677.jpg\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Imm-UConnStudents-1024x677.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-607\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Imm-UConnStudents-1024x677.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Imm-UConnStudents-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Imm-UConnStudents-768x508.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Imm-UConnStudents-1536x1015.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Imm-UConnStudents.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">
A Ukrain\u00adian flag hangs out\u00adside a build\u00ading across the street from the Embassy of Rus\u00adsia in Helsin\u00adki, Fin\u00adland, on July 13, 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sophie, who requests for her last name to not be revealed due to uncer\u00adtain\u00adty with her immi\u00adgra\u00adtion sta\u00adtus, moved to Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut alone at 14 years old after high schools in Ukraine began to close after Russia\u2019s inva\u00adsion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her par\u00adents asked her how she envi\u00adsioned her future. If she could\u00adn\u2019t fin\u00adish high school, she could\u00adn\u2019t go to col\u00adlege either. So, Sophie applied to con\u00adtin\u00adue her edu\u00adca\u00adtion abroad. Saint Bernard High School in Uncasville offered to cov\u00ader the cost of her tuition and con\u00adnect\u00aded her to a host fam\u00adi\u00adly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, she would cry almost every night, con\u00adstant\u00adly wor\u00adried about her family\u2019s safe\u00adty. Although she is still wor\u00adried, she said she is grate\u00adful to her host fam\u00adi\u00adly for giv\u00ading her shel\u00adter, com\u00adfort and above all, a sense of belong\u00ading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now in her first year at UConn, she is study\u00ading com\u00adput\u00ader sci\u00adence and engi\u00adneer\u00ading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sophie booked a flight for June 1, 2025, excit\u00aded to see her moth\u00ader and broth\u00ader in Ger\u00admany. Just three days before her depar\u00adture, she received an email from the UConn Cen\u00adter for Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal Stu\u00addents & Schol\u00adars warn\u00ading that the sus\u00adpen\u00adsion of visa pro\u00adcess\u00ading<\/a> could mean that inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal stu\u00addents may not be able to return to the U.S. if they left. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her host mom was scared that her trip would be con\u00adsid\u00adered \u201cself-depor\u00adta\u00adtion.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would be home for sum\u00admer, but I was forced to stay here,\u201d Sophie said. \u201cIf I do choose to go home, I have to be pre\u00adpared to not come back. I\u2019m not sure I want to be able to stay if I have to go through all this trou\u00adble. I can\u2019t real\u00adly stay here for such a long peri\u00adod of time with\u00adout know\u00ading I will be able to see them.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jour\u00adnal\u00adism stu\u00addent JJ Ryu<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JJ Ryu, a jour\u00adnal\u00adism major and the daugh\u00adter of South Kore\u00adan immi\u00adgrants, said she self-cen\u00adsors, choos\u00ading not to cov\u00ader immi\u00adgra\u00adtion sto\u00adries for fear that her work could affect her par\u00adents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JJ Ryu at the University of Connecticut<\/p>\n

Photos by Elijah Polance<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-UCONN-JJ-Ryu-by-Elijah-Polance-1024x681.jpg\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-UCONN-JJ-Ryu-by-Elijah-Polance-1024x681.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-937\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-UCONN-JJ-Ryu-by-Elijah-Polance-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-UCONN-JJ-Ryu-by-Elijah-Polance-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-UCONN-JJ-Ryu-by-Elijah-Polance-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-UCONN-JJ-Ryu-by-Elijah-Polance-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-UCONN-JJ-Ryu-by-Elijah-Polance-2048x1362.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">

JJ Ryu out\u00adside the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut jour\u00adnal\u00adism depart\u00adment. Ryu does\u00adn\u2019t cov\u00ader immi\u00adgra\u00adtion sto\u00adries for fear they would affect her par\u00adents. Pho\u00adto by Eli\u00adjah Polance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ryu shared an instance where she wrote an arti\u00adcle on the Trump admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion\u2019s attempt to shut down the U.S. Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion. Afraid that her sto\u00adry could have brought harm to her fam\u00adi\u00adly, she refused to have it pub\u00adlished. \u201cI have to make sure that I\u2019m tak\u00ading as many pre\u00adcau\u00adtions that I can,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a jour\u00adnal\u00adist, she said she believes the pub\u00adlic deserves to know what\u2019s going on. Because she keeps up with the news, Ryu is the infor\u00adma\u00adtion hold\u00ader for her friends and fam\u00adi\u00adly. How\u00adev\u00ader, Ryu said her undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded friends are hes\u00adi\u00adtant to dis\u00adcuss their con\u00adcerns with her. She said she under\u00adstands because if she were in their shoes, she would stay silent too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would\u00adn\u2019t trust any\u00adbody,\u201d Ryu said. \u201cYour friends can turn their back on you at any moment. The gov\u00adern\u00adment can turn [its] back on you any moment. Nobody\u2019s a guar\u00adan\u00adtee.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vic\u00adto\u00adria Sil\u00adva-Soto<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vic\u00adto\u00adria Sil\u00adva-Soto, a junior at UConn, said she won\u00adders why the peo\u00adple that helped raise her are being treat\u00aded like crim\u00adi\u00adnals.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vic\u00adto\u00adria Sil\u00adva-Soto rep\u00adre\u00adsent\u00ading UConn Stu\u00addent Tele\u00advi\u00adsion at the 2025 Big East Media Day. Sil\u00adva-Soto won\u00adders why those that helped raise her are being seen as crim\u00adi\u00adnals. Pho\u00adto by Daisy Gon\u00adza\u00adlez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

 When her moth\u00ader immi\u00adgrat\u00aded to the U.S. from Brazil in 1999, sev\u00ader\u00adal friends came with her. In Brazil\u00adian cul\u00adture, it is com\u00admon to refer to close fam\u00adi\u00adly friends as \u201caunts,\u201d \u201cuncles\u201d and \u201ccousins\u201d despite no blood rela\u00adtion. Her mom was one of the lucky ones, obtain\u00ading her cit\u00adi\u00adzen\u00adship in 2021, while two \u201caunts\u201d that accom\u00adpa\u00adnied her on the jour\u00adney from Brazil remain undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grow\u00ading up, Sil\u00adva-Soto joined her mom\u2019s long shifts clean\u00ading hous\u00ades and deliv\u00ader\u00ading stacks of Jour\u00adnal Inquir\u00ader news\u00adpa\u00adpers. After one of her aunts began her own clean\u00ading busi\u00adness, Sil\u00adva-Soto worked for her as her first job.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silva-Soto\u2019s mem\u00ado\u00adries are filled with attend\u00ading birth\u00adday par\u00adties, going to church and host\u00ading large fam\u00adi\u00adly get-togeth\u00aders with these aunts.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August, both aunts received let\u00adters from the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment encour\u00adag\u00ading self-depor\u00adta\u00adtion. One of the women had her stay legal\u00adly extend\u00aded to Novem\u00adber 2026 but wor\u00adries she won\u2019t be able to attain cit\u00adi\u00adzen\u00adship or would be forced to leave with her chil\u00addren, who are U.S. cit\u00adi\u00adzens, Sil\u00adva-Soto said. The oth\u00ader aunt, who does not have chil\u00addren, is in hid\u00ading \u2014 fear\u00adful to approach her front door and risk being seen.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere was a lot of cry\u00ading,\u201d Sil\u00adva-Soto said, not\u00ading that nei\u00adther woman has been back to Brazil in 25 years. \u201cYou don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to hap\u00adpen to you, and then you get the let\u00adter.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Anna Heqi\u00admi & Kar\u00adla PerezU\u00adConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut stu\u00addents from immi\u00adgrant fam\u00adi\u00adlies are post\u00adpon\u00ading trav\u00adel, check\u00ading in reg\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly with par\u00adents and loved ones and wor\u00adry\u00ading about their futures as Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump\u2019s admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion pur\u00adsues an aggres\u00adsive depor\u00adta\u00adtion agen\u00adda with the goal of deport\u00ading 1 mil\u00adlion immi\u00adgrants annu\u00adal\u00adly.  Stu\u00addents say that aggres\u00adsive roundups around the coun\u00adtry are caus\u00ading fear and anx\u00adi\u00adety for them\u00adselves and their fam\u00adi\u00adlies.   [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":976,"featured_media":553,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[73,81,34,36,76,31,77],"class_list":["post-515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-immigration","tag-connecticut-students-for-a-dream","tag-ice","tag-immigration","tag-refugees","tag-students","tag-uconn","tag-undocuhuskies"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-UCONNSTUDENTS-Polance-001.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":512,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/ct-communities-push-back-against-deportations\/","url_meta":{"origin":515,"position":0},"title":"Communities push back against deportations","author":"Anna Heqimi","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Anna HeqimiUConn Journalism Knocking on doors in an immigrant neighborhood\u00a0on a recent fall afternoon,\u00a0Selize\u00a0Mendes\u00a0was\u00a0on a mission to\u00a0inform residents\u00a0about\u00a0their constitutional rights.\u00a0 Selize Mendes places an informational packet provided by Danbury Unites for Immigrants near a neighbor's door on Nov. 8, 2025. Mendes wants to keep residents informed about their rights.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Communities"","block_context":{"text":"Communities","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/communities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-COMM-Heqimi-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-COMM-Heqimi-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-COMM-Heqimi-001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-COMM-Heqimi-001.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-COMM-Heqimi-001.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-COMM-Heqimi-001.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":519,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/international-students-feel-unwelcome-amid-trump-administration-scrutiny\/","url_meta":{"origin":515,"position":1},"title":"International students feel unwelcome amid Trump administration scrutiny","author":"Breanna Bonner","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Breanna BonnerUConn Journalism Afra Hassan-Pour,\u00a0an\u00a0international student\u00a0pursuing her master's degree at the\u00a0University of Connecticut\u2019s\u00a0School of\u00a0Fine\u00a0Arts, said\u00a0she\u00a0chose to study in the\u00a0United States\u00a0after\u00a0learning\u00a0it\u00a0is\u00a0one of\u00a0the best\u00a0places\u00a0in the world to study art management.\u00a0 Now Hassan-Pour said the\u00a0climate\u00a0in the\u00a0U.S.\u00a0feels increasingly hostile\u00a0toward people from other countries.\u00a0 \u201cIt feels like the goal is to make things hard\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Education"","block_context":{"text":"Education","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/INT.-Student-Graphic.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":510,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/immigrant-crackdown-felt-in-ct\/","url_meta":{"origin":515,"position":2},"title":"Fear & no due process: first year of Trump immigrant crackdown felt throughout Connecticut","author":"Anna Heqimi","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Anna Heqimi & Karla PerezUConn Journalism Two high school students. Eighteen minors.\u00a0Hundreds of\u00a0arrests in\u00a0nearly 20\u00a0different\u00a0towns.\u00a0Ramped up\u00a0immigration enforcement\u00a0efforts\u00a0have\u00a0affected\u00a0communities across\u00a0Connecticut.\u00a0\u00a0 In just the first six months of President Donald Trump\u2019s second term,\u00a0Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u00a0made\u00a0almost 400 arrests\u00a0in Connecticut, according to\u00a0the Deportation Data Project.\u00a0While the administration claimed it would\u00a0target\u00a0\"the worst of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Immigration"","block_context":{"text":"Immigration","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/immigration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/ICE_video_screengrab-scaled.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/ICE_video_screengrab-scaled.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/ICE_video_screengrab-scaled.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/ICE_video_screengrab-scaled.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/ICE_video_screengrab-scaled.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/ICE_video_screengrab-scaled.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":334,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/uncertainty-roils-schools-as-trump-targets-k-12\/","url_meta":{"origin":515,"position":3},"title":"Uncertainty roils schools as Trump targets K\u201112","author":"Bridget Bronsdon","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"It started almost right away. Within nine days of President Donald Trump\u2019s return to office, he set his sights on education.","rel":"","context":"In "Education"","block_context":{"text":"Education","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-SCHOOLS-West-hartford-busses.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1709,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/07\/explainer-video-series-an-overview-on-presidential-power\/","url_meta":{"origin":515,"position":4},"title":"Video explainer series: An overview on presidential power","author":"Lily Goldblatt","date":"January 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Lily GoldblattUConn Journalism Following President Donald Trump's return to office in January 2025, his administration has taken an expansive interpretation of executive power and broadened the scope of the executive branch exponentially. In the first year of his second term, he has passed a total of 225 executive orders,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Executive Power"","block_context":{"text":"Executive Power","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/executive-power\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/exec-overview-thumbnail-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/exec-overview-thumbnail-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/exec-overview-thumbnail-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/exec-overview-thumbnail-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/exec-overview-thumbnail-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/exec-overview-thumbnail-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":731,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/two-education-secretaries-from-ct-show-divide-over-schools\/","url_meta":{"origin":515,"position":5},"title":"Two education secretaries from CT show divide over schools","author":"Bridget Bronsdon","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Two Connecticut residents, two secretaries of education, two very different paths.","rel":"","context":"In "Education"","block_context":{"text":"Education","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-Secretaries.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-Secretaries.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-Secretaries.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-Secretaries.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-Secretaries.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/ED-Secretaries.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgTa6m-8j","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=515"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2161,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515\/revisions\/2161"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}