Finding safety, facing uncertainty.
For many immigrants living in Philadelphia, the city has been a place of refuge and a new home. However, since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, some of these residents have expressed fear regarding their safety and well-being amid increased sightings of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and ongoing mass deportations.
One such immigrant is a 27-year-old Ukrainian woman who spoke with the Acel Moore High School Journalism Workshop on the condition of anonymity over concerns about safety and her uncertain immigration status.
She came to Philadelphia from her native Odessa through the Uniting for Ukraine program, which gave 240,000 Ukrainian citizens temporary legal status in the United States during their country’s war with Russia. Trump announced on March 6 that he is considering ending the program, started by his predecessor, as part of his administration’s goal to revoke temporary legal status for more than 1.8 million migrants.
After two years living and working in Philadelphia, the thought of her being suddenly deported back to her war-torn home country terrifies her.
“I got permission to be here, and I know how people see immigrants, but I just want to be a good person and live,” she said.
She said that if she were deported, she would seek refuge in another country to “be a good person somewhere else.”
Upon arriving in Philadelphia in 2023, both she and her spouse embraced the hope of a new beginning, escaping the fears of genocide in Ukraine. However, they now find themselves navigating a landscape filled with uncertainty once again.
She said that their initial transition was complicated by stark cultural and social differences between the United States and Ukraine. She described her new country as a distinctly different world, complete with its own laws, customs, and freedoms.
ICE’s recent raids on immigrants in Philadelphia and other cities reminded her of the forcible conscription that the Ukrainian military is using on men who stayed behind.
Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election had been her biggest fear, she said, because she believes his perspective on immigrants will be adopted and reinforced by his supporters, especially people she interacts with in Philadelphia.
Although she has a job in the restaurant industry, works extensive overtime, and pays bills and taxes “just like everyone else,” she worries that her time in the city may not last much longer.
Since 2016, Philadelphia has positioned itself as a sanctuary city for all immigrants, and city leaders have passed legislation refusing to fully comply with requests from federal agencies to detain or report individuals solely based on their immigration status.
But recent developments have raised questions about the sustainability of this safety net. In recent weeks, sanctuary cities such as New York, Denver, Chicago, and Boston have been threatened by Republican politicians, who have sought to withhold billions in federal funding due to what they described as “a lack of cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts.”
Following his swearing-in, Trump enacted the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the federal detention of undocumented immigrants accused of various crimes, ranging from theft and assault to offenses that could result in death or severe injury to others.
While Trump’s supporters welcome the legislation, it has raised substantial concerns among many immigrant-rights advocates. They are especially concerned for immigrants legally residing within 100 miles of what federal authorities refer to as the United States’ “Border Zones.”
The areas, established by federal law, include significant portions of the East Coast, including Philadelphia, and are described as being a “reasonable distance” from the U.S. border. Nearly two-thirds of residents in the United States live within these zones.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, residents in these zones have faced increased scrutiny from U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, including extensive searches and raids.
These raids, including ones recently at a Juniata Park car wash and at a Northeast Philadelphia market, continue to add to tension some immigrants in Philadelphia feel, with some skipping out on work, school, and shopping as they are left in fear, wondering about their future and safety.