Impact of Immigration changes on NJ Communities
Laura Megia
Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation
College: College of Liberal Arts
Major: Political Science
Faculty Research Mentor: Dennis Bogdan
Abstract:
The federal government has recently attempted to make sudden changes to immigration and birthright citizenship. Immediately after being sworn in for his second term, President Trump signed an act to “Protect the American People Against Invasion”. This includes deporting anyone who is undocumented living in the United States. This study analyzes the impact of immigrants suddenly being deported, and how it affects families, communities, the economy, etc.As of January 20th, 2025, over 7,000 undocumented immigrants have been deported from the U.S. Thousands of families have been affected by this policy, and many more will be affected if birthright citizenship is taken.This study includes extensive research, including online resources such as the federal government's website and firsthand experiences.These findings show that mass deportations, threats to birthright citizenship, and harassment of immigrants will do more harm than good. These actions affect our teachers, students, essential workers, etc. This research highlights the importance of immigrants and how their safety affects our society.