With the increasing ICE arrests under Trump’s presidency, the USF community is confronted with the addition of a de facto detention center at the San Francisco Airport.
Over the past year, around 400,000 arrests have been recorded by ICE, and now more than two dozen of those arrests have been done at SFO. “And then you’re seeing this expansion of these detention centers that are popping up all over the country. SFO major international airports. It is a spectacle and it seems to remain to be seen how much they’re really going to enforce it in the future.” USF Politics Professor and Academic Director of the Master in Migration Studies program, Marco Durazo shares his reflections regarding ICE invasions and how they will affect community members: “The United States? It’s unwelcoming… Because you’re going to have all these brilliant people from all these other parts of the world who aren’t going to want to come to the US.”
An anonymous freshman sociology major at USF carries the burden and fear of increasing ICE presence as she transitions into her first year at college: “I would say I’ve gotten better about it, but my senior year, it really messed me up. There’s so many expectations that come with senior year, and it’s supposed to be your best year, but it felt like I couldn’t enjoy myself as much as all the other kids; and even now, I feel like that still weighs on me.”
The anonymous student continued, “I try to enjoy daily life, but I always have that constant worry about my parents and my brother because they’re undocumented. Last year, every time my mom would go grocery shopping, I would just panic inherently because that one little trip down the street could get you arrested. My mom’s existence was criminalizing.”
The University of San Francisco has over 1,000 international students enrolled, representing nearly 100 different countries. A detainment center in the major artery of travel for these students poses significant challenges. The USF community has already been confronted with the wrongful detainment of USF alumnus Assim Alkhawaja, who was detained Feb. 16 of 2026. Even after presenting his identification and current U.S. work permit, Alkhawaja was detained for eight days.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, SFO has the second-highest number of arrests, with each arrest lasting longer than 72 hours and often resulting in ICE transfers. The rise in arrests and detainments in San Francisco are adding an extra barrier for students and other community members who are directly affected by changing immigration laws.
Freshman media studies major Leah Chaney fears for the education of her peers: “Education is an opportunity and ICE shouldn’t take that away. I think that students are impacted by fear, and instead of wanting to do things, they’re more scared.” Chaney fears that the increased ICE presence is preventing her peers from participating in education more freely. With the concern of ICE’s presence, students coming from immigrant backgrounds are challenged with concerns that American students wouldn’t have to think twice about.
To bring awareness, USF has red card signs posted around campus to inform students about their rights. These posters can be found throughout campus and specifically on the second floor of Kalmanovitz Hall. According to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, “All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S Constitution.” Ana Arias, another freshman politics student, said, “I want to emphasize how important education is and matters in these times. … Education is something that is a privilege, but at the same time, it’s our right to take advantage of it. So look at the news; look at good news sources. Celebrate. Celebrate your identity, celebrate your parents and celebrate a country that you want, not what they expect you to have.”
