‘Some … may be feeling very acutely scared or worried right now’
Donald Trump officially was sworn in as the 47th president earlier today, but various educational institutions and student groups offered ways to deal with the “anxiety” surrounding the 45th president’s second term.
According to Fox News, “mental health advice,” international student travel notices, and anti-Israel protests were among the inauguration-stress outlets.
The University of Illinois Chicago chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine announced a demonstration in the Windy City to “Stop the Trump Agenda,” which featured “80 organizations to fight back against Trump’s racist and reactionary program.”
Participating groups included the Chicago Educators for Palestine, Mexican Students de Aztlán, Healthcare Workers for Palestine, and Make Noize for Change.
The U. Illinois Chicago SJP and Students for a Democratic Society also are planning a January 22 rally on the campus quad “to oppose the Trump Agenda and stand with Palestine against the US war machine.”
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Last month, the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health published an article titled “Mental Health and Living with Anxiety During Presidential Transitions” which notes “[f]or some, a second Trump administration is stirring up fear and anxiety” due to promises of “mass deportations” and “limit[ing] access to gender-affirming care.”
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“There are some historically oppressed groups who have constantly been living under fear of threat for decades,” said Emory Global Health professor Rachel Waford. “Some of those people may be feeling very acutely scared or worried right now about some of the potential policy changes with the upcoming administration.”
Waford’s recommendations included “doing activities that bring you joy,” getting lots of sleep, and “engaging in the places where you can feel a bit more powerful.”
In late November, Cornell’s Office of Global Learning issued a “guidance” noting after the inauguration “a travel ban is likely to go into effect” along with “mass deportations.” As such, “it is a good idea for international students, faculty, and staff from the above countries to be back in the U.S. in advance of the semester, which begins January 21.”
Similar notices were sent out at USC, Harvard, Penn State, and MIT.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho tried to ease illegal immigrants’ fears by noting the district “will not allow any law enforcement entity to take any type of immigration action against our students or their families within our care.”
Carvalho said the district has created “safe spaces” in its schools “for students to come together,” and that teachers are required to attend trainings “about what assistance or documentation they cannot or should not provide to federal immigration authorities.”
The University of California established a “resource page” for undocumented students, and said in a statement that it “recognized ‘uncertainty and anxiety’ ahead of Inauguration Day” and “welcomed students ‘regardless of immigration status,’” according to the Los Angeles Times.
MORE: Educators now want to ‘come together’ post-election? Prove it.
IMAGE: Rep. Victoria Spartz/X
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