The Gatepost Editorial: Safety isn’t guaranteed, but community should be

By The Gatepost Editorial Board

Since President Donald J. Trump has returned to the White House, he has fundamentally altered and dismantled the federal government. He has changed policies regarding immigration and how the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents serve at his behest. 

ICE agents have been overstepping their bounds, detaining legal citizens and regularly infringing on their rights.

Terrifying videos of masked agents tearing people away from their families, kidnapping people off the street, or killing people have circulated on social media and around the country, creating an atmosphere of dread.

These police-state tactics represent a new type of facism.

The United States has long been known as a melting pot - a blending of diverse cultures, languages, and people. The insistence from President Trump that the immigrants who make up our cultural mosaic no longer belong here is unconscionable.

Here at home, students who attend Framingham State actively see the benefits and joys of living in a multicultural community.

The City of Framingham is known as “home away from Brazil” due to its large Brazilian population. Estimates vary, but as of 2022, approximately 6,000 Brazilians reside in Framingham, according to The Boston Globe. 

Last year, Alain Puma, Class of ’25, a former staff writer for The Gatepost, published “Making Framingham home: Brazilian community key to downtown’s economic revival,” in the May 9 edition. The article spotlights the many Brazilian immigrants whose establishments make up about 85% of businesses in downtown Framingham. 

The entwinement of our campus with the City of Framingham is undeniable, as students regularly visit various Brazilian-owned cafés, some of which have become popular spots to visit after watching the Boston Marathon along Waverly Street.

Framingham is a special and beautiful place to live. 

The looming presence of ICE has brought fear and caused a repression of cultural celebration in Framingham. 

Paroquia São Tarcísio, a local church, throws an annual Festa Junina in June. The cultural festival is a celebration of St. John the Baptist. There are food stands, live music, games, and the traditional quadrilha - all representative of Brazilian heritage. This type of gathering, embracing of others, and the education it provides should be celebrated, rather than threatened.  

In 2025, the festival was called off due to threats to the church that ICE would be called to raid the event.

Brazilian community members are also fearful of voting in the upcoming Brazilian election. Those who live in the U.S. and have Brazilian citizenship are required by law to vote in Brazil’s election. One of the local polling stations in Massachusetts is at Paroquia São Tarcísio. 

Members of the Brazilian community are considering skipping this election and paying the subsequent fine to avoid the threat of ICE raiding polling places. 

Community members should not have to be afraid to engage in exercising basic rights such as voting or celebrating their heritage. 

This fear has also spread to our campus community.

Here at Framingham State, enrollment data indicates 24% of our population identifies as Hispanic or Latinx. Furthermore, Framingham State is a majority-minority institution. 

Our campus is a vibrant place to live and work, and we emphasize the value of free thinking, art, expression, and diversity. Unfortunately, those values are becoming more endangered beyond the confines of this campus. 

Even if we remain true to our shared goal of cultural acceptance, no one can guarantee the safety of students, faculty, or staff who may belong to the immigrant community. 

Family and community are valued above all else in many immigrant communities.

The idea that “it takes a village” is an incredibly important value for immigrant communities. If family or friends are taken away by ICE, we can find family in each other and stop at nothing to fight for what is right - including getting them back. 

Building a strong community is what combats fear, and caring for your peers, even if you don’t know them, is the first step toward ensuring your role as a proactive ally rather than a bystander. 

Rally behind your peers. No one should be alone in an age of fear and turmoil. 

If students have time and want to get involved, the LUCE Defense Hotline is looking for donations and volunteers to attend bystander training. 

If you see ICE in the Framingham area, you can call the LUCE hotline at (617) 370-5023. Posting about ICE sightings on social media and sharing that information in those informal spaces is also incredibly helpful for immigrant communities. 

If you see ICE on campus, call FSUPD at (508) 626-4911.

Framingham State’s SharePoint site features a page with immigration news and resource materials accessible to both students and faculty. These resources include recorded Know Your Rights training, links to legal services, and packets for emergency preparedness for immigrant families. 

In addition, students should know that all records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and cannot be shared without proper processing.

At the core of this issue are the human beings who are living in fear of losing their friends and family due to a corrupt government order. 

As students on Framingham State’s campus, our safety is not guaranteed, but we can work together to guarantee a strong, loving, thriving community.