Buying Injustice: The Hidden Harms of this Act.
Fotios Evangelos Meimeteas
June 13 Updated: June 18
Are we looking to create a thriving society, or are we allowing fear into the lives of immigrant families? As new immigration policies appear, the question become, how do we prevent the changes that involve separating families and dismantling the place that individuals call home?
Immigration in the United States
Historically in the United States, we have believed that this country is nothing without immigrants and that we are a free country. The question becomes why the United States administration continues to claim they welcome immigrant families, but they spend money on affecting the community rather than helping them become U.S citizens.
The Secure America Act
On Wednesday June 10, the Secure America Act was passed, funding $70 billion in total toward ICE and border control. Following the day, June 11, President Trump signed the bill. The following bill is not just any ordinary bill; for many families it is one that creates fear, deepens inequality, and disrupts the lives of immigrant communities. Recently, a statement by the White House has mentioned that The Secure America Act was passed for several reasons.
The first reason President Trump approved this act was to increase control both in and outside of the border. Along with increasing border protection, Trump wanted to elevate the spending within the drug trade, as he found that drugs specifically “dangerous drugs,” were constantly increasing. Finally, during President Trump’s process of signing the bill, he came across the idea to enforce immigration laws and spend half of 35 billion dollars on ICE enforcement. An article by The Guardian mentions that in between the process of signing the bill, “in total, 38 billion goes to ICE enforcement, 26 billion to Border Patrol and Customs, and lastly, $5 billion to homeland security.”
When we directly fund operations with billions of dollars, we are seeking more harm than protecting society. Lately, we have seen incidents where ICE agents engage in hyper-aggressive actions that are beyond violent and inappropriate.
When I hear about the billions of dollars that go into ICE, I often relate to my hometown, Lynn, Massachusetts, which has been affected by ICE raids. Lynn MA is a community near the Boston area that is made up of immigrant and working-class families. In my personal experience, I have seen fathers worried about leaving for work, mothers holding their children with tears across their faces, and homes that get raided instead of being protected. What hurts me and my community the most is seeing emptiness in both school and work and the fear of loved ones at risk.
Additionally, as an 18-year-old who identifies as Latino, who was raised by an immigrant family, I have spent months as a volunteer for an immigration hotline by the name of LUCE. When I am signed up for calls for the hotline, I do the immediate; I pick up calls as fast as possible in a matter of saving one’s life. Our phones never stop ringing as fear is constantly caused by a few questions, leading to complete panic mode. When we connect the fears that come from the hotline and the lives that were lost, funding does not create a thriving society; instead, it creates a broken community.
Fear does not only affect the community, but it also targets groups like families and children.
Broken Reality: Children Placed in Cells. Where Is Their Future Heading?
According to the data from the Deportation Data evaluated by the Marshall Project, about 170% of children have been detained by ICE under Trump’s term.” Additionally, data has shown that since President Trump began his second term, the rate of deportations has significantly increased in both children and adults. Another piece of data that is important to pay close attention to is the conditions in these detention centers. It says, “U.S Rep. Joaquin Castro spent two and a half hours inside Dilley Detention Center on Wednesday, visiting parents and children. He said that 1,100 detainees housed at the facility included a 2-month-old infant”. “They are literally being treated like prisoners,” Castro said.
This data reported is not just a statistic; it is fear that continues to affect the lives of immigrant families who are constantly at risk. It is unconscionable to place a 2-month infant who does not have the full capacity to be placed in a detention center.
Placing a 2-month-old infant inside of a detention facility shows the systematic crisis that evolves throughout society. More so, ICE operations have become so harsh than ever, that they even place innocent children inside of cells where they are forced into severe, extreme conditions. In the following article, Juvenile Law Center, it is mentioned that every day in these facilities, children are shackled, pepper sprayed and even abused inside of their cells. “Children may be locked inside cells as small as seven by ten feet, 22 to 24 hours a day, with no personal belongings, no access to education services, no counseling, no interaction with peers, and with nothing more than a lightly padded concrete slab to sleep on. They may also be pepper sprayed for simple rule violations, strip searched after family visits or shackled when they leave their cells.” The information from the Juvenile Law Center reveals that young children, not even full adults are subjected to harsh conditions and signifigant damage to their mental health.
Funding more ICE protection can create more tensions just like the case of three innocent citizens, Ruben Martinez, Alex Pretti, and Renée Good.
The Tragedy of, Ruben Martinez, Renée Good, Alex Pretti
On March 15, 2025, Ruben Martinez: a Latino U.S citizen, who was shot and killed by ICE in the midst of traffic in Texas. A year later, Renée Good, a U.S citizen, was fatally shot by ICE agents on January 7th. Weeks later, on January 24th, ICE agents also fatally shot U.S Citizen Alex Pretti. From the day of a violent event to the funding of ICE enforcement claiming “protection” makes things significantly worse.
In summary, the Secure America Act was passed to fund aggressive ICE enforcement, and heavy policing; however, the funding that states “protection is the same fund that has caused more tension and inequality for families. Why do we continue to fund things like ICE enforcement and war, yet we do not fund what can be used for healthcare and helpful necessities? The United States claims that we are protected and that our nation is for the free, but are we really protected? Are we really a free land? When communities and their people face hostility in a country that enforces more panic. If this bill were to help us rather than intending more harm, why are there seats empty at school? Why are our fathers scared to leave for work? If they call it protecting our nation, why were two innocent individuals killed? And why are young children being forced into detention centers?
The next question becomes, what does this mean for democracy? The Secure America Act creates democratic turmoil when it poses significant threats to our democracy. A democracy that functions are one that protects its citizens, allows for freedom of speech, and enables trust. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has abused their power, making it hard to obtain any sort of equality.
Maria Dunbar. (June 10, 2026, The Guardian Trump signs $70bn immigration act ensuring ICE funding through 2029
Juvenile Law Center
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