As mass deportations escalate across the country, students at Colorado State University shared their perspectives on ongoing immigration policy changes under President Donald Trump’s second administration. With approximately 150 undocumented students enrolled at CSU and many more with undocumented family members, the issue remains a significant concern on campus.

“I currently live in constant fear,” said Vladimir Lora Pardo, a senator for the Associated Students of CSU’s academic advancement center for first-generation and undocumented students. “It just takes me back to when I was younger, and I had the fear that I wouldn’t see my mom and dad when I got home.”

As the first undocumented senator in ASCSU, Lora Pardo is a fierce advocate for undocumented students.

“I know that my community lives in fear of speaking out,” Lora Pardo said. “I want to show them that there is power in our stories and that there is power in our voices, and that at the end of the day, we have the power to rise together.”

Last week, Trump signed into law H.R.7511, otherwise known as the Laken Riley Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain non-U.S. nationals “who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting.” The act does not require that the person facing detainment be formerly charged or convicted of such crimes to face deportation.

“It’s a way for people to literally racially profile and find a way to deport people that they think are immigrants,” said Kristina Rodriguez, an associate senator for ASCSU. “I think that’s very concerning.”

The act is one of several policy changes Trump has authorized since his term began less than a month ago. Colorado has been a unique target in Trump’s immigration enforcement measures, as he announced “Operation Aurora” in October.

Since then, the Pentagon has authorized the use of Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, as a temporary operations center for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The DHS reportedly planned to begin an immigration crackdown in Aurora Jan. 30 but postponed the effort due to publicity leaks, according to the Colorado Sentinel.

ICE raids have been reported in other parts of Colorado, including one in Adams County that involved the arrest of 49 people at a nightclub, 41 of whom were undocumented. According to Colorado Public Radio, none of the detainees have made an appearance in federal court so far, and it is unclear where they are being held.

Last week in Loveland, Colorado, a man — whose immigration status is still unclear — was arrested by immigration officials near an elementary school, garnering attention from Northern Coloradans. Several reports of ICE presence in Fort Collins and Larimer County have been made, but they have yet to be tied to any arrests regarding citizenship status.

As federal immigration laws tighten and ICE becomes more visible in the Fort Collins area, some CSU students worry the lives of people they know might be changed forever.

“When people say, ‘Oh, these people are coming and taking our jobs,’ there’s so much context and nuance around it that just gets ignored for the sake of it being political. I feel like education is really what would help solve a lot of these issues here.” -Lucas Huber, student 

Yoseline Rivera, an ASCSU senator representing El Centro, said she worries about her parents, who are immigrants with residency status.

“Just seeing anything that’s happening right now, it’s really scary because they’re down in Denver, and I’m like, ‘Who’s taking care of them?’” Rivera said.

Tyler, a CSU student who requested his last name be kept anonymous, said he worries for his immigrant coworkers.

“It almost feels like it’s not their fault,” Tyler said. “They put in a lot of work to get here where they are, and it’s like they have no control over what’s going to happen to them.”

Tyler and several other students said they believe deportation measures should be carried out on a smaller scale and on a case-by-case basis.

“I feel like (deportation) should be circumstantial,” said Alexia, a CSU student who also requested her last name be kept anonymous. “Instead of just deporting them right away, there should be other options.”

Many students criticized Trump’s immigration policy given the important role that immigrants played and continue to play in U.S. history, as student Joey Reyes pointed out.

“I’d say it’s pretty hypocritical that we have, like, this immigration problem when the U.S. was founded by people that are not native to the U.S.,” Reyes said.

Lucas Huber, another CSU student, said support for Trump’s immigration policies can be attributed to a lack of information and nuance in political conversations.

“When people say, ‘Oh, these people are coming and taking our jobs,’ there’s so much context and nuance around it that just gets ignored for the sake of it being political,” Huber said. “I feel like education is really what would help solve a lot of these issues here.”

In terms of safety on campus and in the surrounding community, students have varying perspectives. In general, those who are or know someone who is undocumented questioned CSU’s ability to protect students, while those with U.S. citizenship reported feeling safe in Fort Collins.

Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen issued a statement Jan. 29 regarding the role of local police amid recent ICE activity in the area.

“Our agency is focused on public safety, not immigration,” the statement reads. “ICE detainer requests are not court orders; in accordance with state law, our jail will not hold someone solely on a detainer request if they’re otherwise eligible for release.”

Rodriguez said the statement gives her some sense of safety in the community but is not enough to help her feel safe on campus.

“It does bring me some sort of comfort,” Rodriguez said. “But then again, like, seeing how it is with our own president at CSU, I just really wish she would be able to do something similar.”

CSU President Amy Parsons has not issued an official statement regarding recent immigration policies and their potential impact on students. This contrasts the university’s 2017 response under former President Tony Frank, who reassured students amid uncertainty over their immigration status.

“Certainly, the benefit to our campus community from the presence of these strong, hard-working and talented student leaders is also significant,” the 2017 statement reads. “We support any efforts to allow these students to complete their educations at Colorado State University.”

When The Collegian reached out to CSU for comment, the university provided the following statement: “Like other institutions of higher education across the country, CSU is in the process of reviewing the Trump administration’s executive orders and directives.”

Lora Pardo said the lack of clear communication from Parsons is stressful for him and other undocumented students.

“No statement is a statement,” Lora Pardo said. “Delaying a message due to the uncertainty just causes more fear and more panic in our community — silence is loud.”

Students seeking support can visit Student Legal Services, the CSU Health Network and attend ASCSU meetings. Rivera said students can pick up “know your rights” information cards from ASCSU.

“I think that the undocumented community has to be reminded that we have prevailed,” Lora Pardo said. “We have prevailed every single time — every time that there’s been an obstacle faced. It’s because of the incredible work ethic that the undocumented community has that we persevere.”

Reach Chloe Waskey at news@collegian.com or on social media @CSUCollegian.