The impact of Trump administration immigration policies on Rhode Island’s youth and families

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents descend on families of all citizenship statuses across the U.S. under the directive of President Donald Trump’s administration, Rhode Island community leaders are taking stock of the shifting landscape. The administration’s expanded deportation efforts, new restrictions on or revocations of legal work and student visas and slashes to public benefits including a plan to downsize the U.S. Department of Education have conspired to create a climate of fear and instability for many local families.

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, a nonprofit organization focusing on supporting children in the state, reports that 29% of the Rhode Island’s children live in immigrant families as of 2022 – higher than the national average of 25%. Recent, deportation and arrest efforts by the current presidential administration have had profound consequences on familial well-being. In Rhode Island, 97% of children in immigrant families have parents who have been in the U.S. for over five years, reports Rhode Island Kids Count. Now, caught in an ouroboros of federal apathy, these same families are subject to daily anxieties that transcend the immediate and material to include the existential, too.

These are families that have, like all of us, weathered a first Trump term and a pandemic that “exacerbated the social-emotional needs of students nationwide,” as Victor Morente, chief of external affairs for the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) puts it, over their last five years in the state.

“These changes are causing even greater concern," he added.

In March of 2025, advocates for Rhode Island senate bill 240, “The Rhode Island Childcare is Essential Act” presented testimony to the Rhode Island Senate Committee on Education. The stories shared were grounded by facts that reveal the ongoing struggle for Rhode Island to support its youth and family residents. As the Economic Progress Institute reported: “nine out of ten Rhode Island families cannot afford childcare,” a statistic that does not discriminate by citizenship status, or interacts even more harshly with existing challenges many families are navigating.

Morente emphasized the concerns among students and educators: “Rhode Island has a significant immigrant population and thus we have heard directly from students and families as well as teachers and school leaders that they’re experiencing heightened concern and anxiety due to recent changes in federal immigration policies and enforcement,” he said.

Morente highlighted crucial changes in support for multilingual learners (MLL) in the state as a response to heightened efforts by the Trump administration to push deportations and other forward. “In February 2025, the Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education voted to approve changes to the Regulations Governing the Education of Multilingual Learners (MLL),” Morente explained. “The regulations were last updated in 2007 and did not comport with changes in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), current legal requirements, nor did they incorporate nationally recognized best practices.”

While efforts are being made to mobilize student and youth support, uncertainty remains in schools across the state. “Many Rhode Island education stakeholders were unsure of what the [federal] changes meant,” said Morente, “and how they would respond if federal agents tried to enter school grounds or requested access to student information.”

In Rhode Island, where Morente notes “schools do not ask for information about a student or families’ immigrant status,” the Trump administration’s rescinding of the “sensitive locations” policy that protects schools and other buildings as sanctuaries from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers remains a reality still beyond state borders. This does not, however, mean that children and their families are immune to the psychological impact.

In response to these challenges, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is committed to ensuring that all children – regardless of immigration status – have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

“Our organization closely tracks state and federal policies that impact immigrant children and their families, advocating for policies that promote equity and protection,” said Rhode Island KIDS COUNT representative Jessica Vega.

As members of the Immigrant Coalition for Rhode Island, RI KIDS COUNT is one of 33 organizations across the state advocating for “fair and equal treatment of immigrant communities.”

“We rely on data-driven research to highlight the needs of immigrant children and push for policies that remove barriers to healthcare, education and economic well-being,” said Vega. “Our work prioritizes community engagement, allowing us to elevate the voices of families directly affected by policy changes and ensure their concerns are heard by policymakers.”

With federal advancements such as H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act set to be heard on the House floor at the start of April, community organizers both local and national are looking to brace their communities.

The SAVE Act, which would “amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship” for voters, is yet another attempt to heighten the hurdles faced by those living in America, citizens or not. In the face of encroaching ICE actions and the arrests of 370 people in nearby Massachusetts punctuating the end of the first month of violent crackdowns on perceived illegal residents, organizations like RI KIDS COUNT are holding steadfast in their commitment to transparency and support: “We will continue to be a source of trusted information for our state and communities, remaining active on all social media platforms and through public advocacy.”

EMMA NEWBERY (enewbery@jewishallianceri.org) is a staff writer and podcast host for Jewish Rhode Island.