Across the country, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations have intensified, and reports of people being stopped, questioned or detained based on appearance or accent have sparked national outrage and fear.

According to two faculty and staff members who work with students at the University of North Georgia, many students are grappling with stress related to these events. They say the impact of this anxiety can be mental, physical, social or academic. Most often, it’s a combination of all four.

“You cannot focus if you are unsafe,” says Samantha Ledbetter, a clinician with UNG’s Student Counseling Services. “Everything we do is interconnected. We can only neurologically juggle so much at once, so if you are not feeling safe, you cannot be successful academically.”

She says many students have entered a state of “fight, flight or freeze” because they perceive recent changes in national immigration policy as a threat. While immigration anxiety can affect students from all backgrounds, Ledbetter says Latinx students are disproportionately affected at UNG.

Almost 20% of the student population identifies as Hispanic, and ICE operations seem to be targeting this demographic.

As of this month, Oakwood city officials say the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is planning to transform two warehouses in Hall County into an ICE detention center. The site is less than two miles from the UNG Gainesville campus. This news comes just days after Social Circle city officials confirmed ICE has purchased property in Walton County, less than 30 miles from the UNG Oconee Campus.

Ledbetter says many students are afraid of being racially profiled by immigration enforcement officers and peers, adding that students “definitely fear it escalating to hate crimes.”

“That is a part of their identity that people are targeting and that policy is weaponizing,” she says. “That comes with its own kind of pain. If you’re a traditional-aged student, you’re already doing a lot of identity exploration, so imagine, on top of that, this policy stuff playing into it.”

Efren Velazquez, an associate professor of psychological science whose research focuses on how personal and parental immigration status influence the college success of Latinx students, says even documented U.S. citizens are afraid of being profiled. He describes students as “clearly distressed” in a manner “far more intense” than he has observed in the past.

“I’ll be honest, I’m nervous. I used to be undocumented. Now I’m a U.S. citizen, but that doesn’t mean I’m safe. [An ICE agent] can easily stop me and ask, ‘Are you a U.S. citizen?’…And then I have to provide the evidence right on the spot, even though I’ve been living here most of my life.” -Efren Velazquez, UNG associate professor of psychological science 

Velazquez and Ledbetter say while students are scared about what could happen to them personally, they most often express concern for their families, particularly their parents, who may be undocumented, and some students haven taken on additional household responsibilities because their parents are afraid to go to work.

According to Velazquez, some students withdrew from UNG’s Latinx Graduation Celebration out of fear for themselves or their families. “As a Hispanic professor, I understand the difficulties,” he says. “Especially for students who have immigrant parents. It’s tough, but this is not forever.”

He urges students who may be experiencing immigration anxiety to connect with each other through clubs like the Latino Student Association and the Latin American Student Organization.

Ledbetter adds that students can also seek confidential support through Student Counseling Services. Legally, she says, licensed therapists like herself cannot disclose information about the immigration status of students or their families.

“We are not going to be talking to anybody about that, and we do not think differently about anybody because of that,” she says.

According to Ledbetter, UNG’s International Student and Scholar Services department can also help affected students maintain their status documentation, even if they are not enrolled as international students.

“[Maintaining your immigration status] is a very important thing to do in today’s climate,” she says.

While first- and second-generation immigrant students appear to be most directly affected, Ledbetter says “vicarious trauma is real.”

“People have empathy for the most part,” she says. “We have mirror neurons that make us want to connect with others, even if they are different from us. We don’t live in a vacuum. No matter what, you probably know someone who is affected.”

According to Ledbetter, students experiencing vicarious trauma may also suffer mentally, physically, socially and academically.

Velazquez says these “stressed, angry” students usually want to know how they can help their friends and families.

“Don’t be afraid to speak up,” he answers. “You want change? Go vote.”

Ledbetter and Velazquez both advised against interviewing students for this story due to concerns for their safety and privacy.