“Hello! It’s wonderful to meet you. My name is Olivia and I’m a junior Political Science and Secondary Education major!”

This is an introduction I have found myself giving a lot over the past few months. It usually garners a response something along the lines of: “Oh wow… it’s quite a time to be studying those subjects!” 

And it’s true. As any political science major would tell you, things are changing rapidly by the day. Political polarization and gridlock are incredibly prominent in our system. There are conflicts, events and crises all across that globe that have no clear or feasible answer. As an education major and future teacher, I find myself in a near constant state of fear and worry for my future students, and my ability as an educator to be able to support and provide for them. This fear has become especially pronounced following recent ICE activity in my home state of Minnesota, where I hope to one day teach. 

As an educator, there is already so much that I know my future students will be facing as a part of their everyday lives: from family conflict, mental health, social dynamics, health issues, financial concerns and so much more. The added presence of ICE only furthers this burden for students. 

We have heard of students being taken from their schools or drop off/pick up lines. We have seen attendance rates drop, as many students simply stop coming to school for fear of being detained on their way to and from, or even at, school. Students who are citizens by birth fear that they will be targeted for their appearance or last name. Students spend days worrying about their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, family, friends and community members who are being targeted. We have pre-schoolers being taken from their schools and shipped across the country in a matter of hours. Students fear not only for their own safety and wellbeing, but also for the safety and well-being of their families and communities. This creates a community of terror for our students. And as educational psychology (and dare I say, common sense) clearly tells us time and time again, when students are functioning in states of fight or flight, there is no way we can expect them to thrive.

And so, I fear for my students. Not only for their capacity to learn and think. But for their capacity to function and thrive. For their ability to even exist in this world.

Now, I understand that from what I have just said, my position on ICE–and likely my political position as a whole–is relatively clear. But as I and educators everywhere recognize, it is our job and responsibility to be able to look past our own biases and understandings of the world; whatever they may be. 

As Luther education students are taught on the first day of our education classes, we must be able to set aside our own beliefs and biases, and instead think about how we can support and foster learning for all of our students. How can we meet the needs of students who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds? Students from varying cultural backgrounds? Students who have different belief sets than us? How can we be there to make each and every student feel represented? How can we ensure that no student feels isolated? 

As a government teacher, I am especially cognizant of this. In fact, one of my top goals every time I go into the classroom is to ensure that my students will have no idea what my political beliefs are. My role is not to tell students what to think. Rather, it is to help them build the skills they need to think critically and tackle various problems. Especially in the government classroom, it is my role to help them learn how to examine and evaluate issues from all sides and perspectives, without my, or their own, biases getting in the way.

So with this in mind, let me pose something to you:

One of the Trump administration’s priorities has been to strengthen national security and secure the border. This has manifested in a visible presence of ICE and other immigration crackdowns. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) January 2026 report, over the course of Trump’s first year of his second term, there were 675,000 people deported. This is the highest number of annual deportations across both of his terms.

Now, let us look back to the Obama administration. One of the priorities for this administration was to reform the immigration system. President Obama is remembered partially for implementing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) system. However, his administration is also remembered for record-high deportation numbers–higher than any of President Trump’s. In 2009, the DHS reported 973,937 deportations. In 2010, 855,933 people were reportedly deported. And in 2011, the DHS reported another 708,118. This means that three years in a row, the Obama administration deported hundreds of thousands more people than the Trump Administration ever has.

When comparing these numbers, one might start to wonder: why is there so much pushback to the Trump administration’s current approach, when the Obama administration deported more people than Trump has, several years in a row?

I want to emphasize that there is not one conclusion that I think should be taken from this. There is not one way that this should be thought about. Instead, take a second to try and step away from your own personal beliefs and biases (because we all have them). Look at the big picture here. And then ask yourself, what does this tell me? What is the same? What is different? What factors could be contributing to this? What is different between these administrations and their approach that is now contributing to the massive levels of pushback and unrest?

The only thing I could hope you might take away from this is the importance of looking at the big picture. The importance of stepping away from our own bias to see how that might challenge or solidify our thinking. Or even, how this might help us find a way towards unity and a common understanding.

Regardless of what you believe, take this moment to think about what you can do. Your individual voice can have a strong influence and impact. Call your state and federal representatives. Post public comments to Executive Agencies during comment periods. Vote in the primaries and midterm elections. Engage in productive discourse. Make your voice heard.