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How student organizations are responding to Trump administration immigration policy

Organizers at the Brown Dream Team and the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice discuss community safety, institutional support and coalition.

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“School isn’t a safe space anymore,” said Paola Chapilliquen ’27, a member of the Brown Dream Team. “You never know what could happen.”

Since the second inauguration of President Trump earlier this month, organizations at Brown that support the “undocumented+” community — a group that includes people who are undocumented, people with undocumented relatives, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and others — have reoriented their work to accommodate a changing political environment. 

In interviews with The Herald, organizers stressed the importance of community to protect the well-being of undocumented+ students. They also urged Brown to continue — and scale up — its support. 

On Jan. 21, the Trump administration revoked long-standing guidance that prevented federal immigration agencies from arresting people in “sensitive locations,” like churches, hospitals and schools. Students on the Brown Dream Team — an organization supporting undocumented+ students at Brown — say they now have to consider the possibility that Immigration and Customs Enforcement might conduct raids on campus. 

“School isn’t a safe space anymore,” said Paola Chapilliquen ’27, a member of the Brown Dream Team. “You never know what could happen.” 

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Paola Chapilliquen ’27

Brown recognizes “that uncertainty about federal actions or statements on immigration issues, visas and international travel is creating anxiety for many DACA, undocumented and international students,” University Spokesperson Brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald.

The University “continues to offer multiple sources of support available to all students and to communicate directly with affected community members,” he added.

Clark did not clarify what the University’s plans are in the event that a student is entered into deportation proceedings or if ICE or Customs and Border Protection come to campus. 

Brown’s Office of Global Engagement hosts a webpage clarifying its protocols regarding government requests for information related to an individual’s citizenship status. The webpage states that Brown “will only share information with law enforcement regarding the immigration status of community members under a valid subpoena.” 

The University’s Department of Public Safety “does not inquire about or act on information related to immigration status, and does not partner with federal or state agencies to do so,” the webpage reads. 

Dream Team member Cyntia Roig ’27 said that after Trump took office, the student organization held conversations where they asked each other: “Where do we stand? Are we still comfortable still being in the club? What does it mean for our families?”

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Cyntia Roig ’27

Axel Martinez ’26, who co-founded the organization in spring 2023, emphasized that Trump’s policies affect more students on Brown’s campus than some might realize. 

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Axel Martinez ’26

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While the number of fully undocumented students at Brown is likely small — about 10 or 20, Martinez estimated — many more students come from “mixed-status” families, meaning they have parents or other relatives who are undocumented. 

Martinez expressed worry that students from mixed-status families would face obstacles when applying for federal financial aid under the Trump administration. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid asks for information that could point to a parent’s immigrant status, raising concerns that the administration could share this information with ICE, The Herald previously reported.

“Much of what we’ve seen from the White House is what we expected,” said Jonathan Goldman, executive director of the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice, which trains students at Brown and other nearby universities to advocate for immigrant justice and provide legal support to those seeking asylum. 

SCIJ and the Dream Team are both prioritizing safety and community as they look toward the coming weeks and months. 

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Josue Morales ’26, a member of the Dream Team, noted that students can support their undocumented friends simply by accompanying them in public spaces. 

Morales said that the Dream Team will continue its long-standing practice of not advertising the location of its events in emails and will exercise discretion when speaking with the media. 

For Martinez, despite the prevailing sadness and uncertainty in his community, the current moment is “in a weird way … rejuvenating.” 

He added he’s excited to leverage his privilege — as a proficient English speaker and student at an elite university — to help undocumented people.

Martinez said the Dream Team is in the process of joining the Brown Activist Coalition, which includes Students for Educational Equity, Sunrise Brown and others.

Chapilliquen hopes that the move will make it clear that the Dream Team’s work “is not just a specific group’s issue” and is relevant to students of many backgrounds, she said.


Lily Seltz

Lily Seltz is a former staff writer for post- magazine and new writer for the The Herald. She studies English (Nonfiction) with a certificate in Migration Studies. She is always searching for a better bagel.



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