Loyola University students have a variety of perspectives on Donald Trump’s executive order to enforce immigration laws and the recent arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Some are fearful, confused, saddened, or in support of the executive order.

Mass communications freshman Adriana Escobar is a child of Latin American immigrants, and she expressed her worries about multiple friends and family members being affected by the enforcement of the order.

“I hope people within Loyola’s community can understand that Latino immigrants, at least from my experience, are vibrant and respectable people who have encountered many challenges outside of racism,” Escobar said.

Escobar said the mass deportation of immigrants stems from a stereotype given to them by U.S. citizens when, in fact, many Latino immigrants have little relation to the accusations.

She said the misconception that immigrants steal jobs from Americans is a detriment to immigrant families.

“I’d say a huge misconception about immigrants from Central and Latin America is that many immigrants come to work in jobs that ‘take’ away opportunities from other Americans when all of these immigrants commit to it in the best interest of their families and are willing to sacrifice their needs for their other family members,” Escobar said.

In response, President Xavier Cole recently sent out a letter to the university explaining that as a private institution, Loyola is able to protect students’ personal information and documents.

“We want to reassure students and the entire Loyola community of our steadfast commitment to their well-being and to the legal protections that safeguard their rights,” Cole said in the letter.

The letter included a list of resources for students to access regarding the situation.

Public relations freshman Lorenzo Barbagelata-Miller said he agrees with Trump’s policies and believes they are needed to maintain the country’s dominance and power against other countries.

Miller stated that immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally should face repercussions but does not fully support all the methods Trump and ICE are using to address the issue.

“I’m not in support of raiding houses and taking people from their homes with no notice,” he said.

Miller said many people believe immigrants are not hard workers and use resources that become unavailable to people born in the U.S.

“It sucks because there are a lot of criminals and cartels that enter our country with harmful substances and illegal weapons, but most illegal immigrants who enter are looking for a better life and are extremely hardworking,” he said.

Public relations freshman Eryn Goines said she is saddened by how forceful and disrespectful some people are during the deportation process.

“I don’t like how they go to people’s houses and take them,” Goines said. “I think everything needs to be way more structured and give these immigrants notice before uprooting their lives.”

Goines talked about the letter President Cole sent out to ease students’ worries about the recent deportation changes.

“I like that he is keeping people aware of what is happening and comforting those that may feel a sense of uncertainty,” Goines said.

Criminology freshman Axel Aguilar said these deportation strategies are seen as very sudden and abrupt.

“Things are not being thought out in terms of economic change, and I feel that things are way too rushed and not really thought out or processed,” Aguilar said.

He said he sees students becoming more aggressive toward each other and unwilling to listen to different perspectives or have tough conversations with others.

Aguilar, who is of Latino descent, feels that labeling the majority of immigrants as criminals while ignoring their economic contributions is saddening.

He said his biggest concern regarding immigration policies is the disruption of order.

“For them to go into these schools is a big disruption, along with the economic impact that people and businesses face when you remove a large chunk of employees who have been working for decades,” Aguilar said.

He talked about how these immigrants are hardworking and aren’t entering the country illegally just for themselves but for their children and loved ones, to create a better future.

Aguilar also advised students on what to be aware of regarding immigration changes.

“Students should stay attentive, listen to others, always look at social media, and find accurate information,” Aguilar said. “We should find out what we can do to help one another as a community.”