Libby: What kind of nation are we becoming?

The policies initiated under the Trump administration pose an unprecedented threat to the future of our country. They sacrifice our children’s hope and optimism for the sake of self-interest and demagoguery, undermining their physical and mental health and robbing them of the opportunity to learn and thrive.

The impact of the COVID pandemic on education and children’s mental health is often blamed on cautious health policy and lockdowns. That was Trump ’16 mishandling the crisis. That damage pales in comparison to what are see under Trump ’24. The systematic dismantling of the Department of Education, HHS, and EPA — paired with a flood of misinformation designed to discredit science and public health — has all but extinguished any promise of future wellbeing for our children and grandchildren.

As we watch, masked ICE officers conduct ethnic cleansing in our workplaces, schools, and churches, labeling entire communities as criminals. Most of these people are hardworking individuals fleeing political persecution and poverty in search of a better life. We once welcomed immigrants and built our nation on diversity and work ethic. Today, we vilify and criminalize them. Statistically, undocumented immigrants are less likely than U.S. citizens to have violent criminal records. 

But the most lasting and tragic consequences fall on children. They live in constant fear of losing their parents, their friends, or being taken themselves. Many feel shame and confusion about an identity portrayed as criminal. They are stigmatized, isolated, and afraid to go to school. These experiences inflict deep and lasting wounds — far worse than the trauma of the pandemic — and can lead to lifelong health problems including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

When due process becomes optional and family separation an everyday policy, we must ask not what kind of immigration system we have — but what kind of nation we’re becoming.

Russell Libby

Snowmass