A fourth-grader shares what helped his fear when ICE visited his school

Widespread images of Liam Ramos with ICE agents in his blue bunny hat have recently brought into focus how children are significantly impacted by the aggressive presence of federal agents in communities.

Children are among those detained and in detention centers, they have family members detained, and they witness ICE forcefully entering their schools and communities. Some schools have begun offering virtual classes in response to great fear that prevents students from showing up.

Xavier, a fourth grader in Washington, D.C., shared with First Church UCC his experience of witnessing ICE coming to his school. At the congregation’s Christmas Eve service, Xavier reflected on themes from the story in Luke when the angel appears to the shepherds, saying, “Do not be afraid.”

“We typically ask an upper elementary child to read the story of the shepherds and reflect briefly on the theme ‘overcoming fear,’” said the Rev. Amanda Hendler-Voss, senior minister. “Every year it’s a typical childhood fear that is lifted up. This year Xavier shared his experience of ICE showing up at his school. His sharing was such a powerful display of moral courage.”

Xavier’s writes:

“This past November, a week before Thanksgiving, there was an incident at my school that brought me fear. Like most typical Friday afternoons at school dismissal, I went to my after-school soccer activity in the school gym. 

“Shortly after it started, one of my friends from soccer came to the gym and told us that ICE was outside of the school. He was scared and said other students were scared and crying. Then a teacher came into the gym and also told us ICE was outside. I immediately felt fear. My fear was for my friends who were born in other countries and who may have also been outside when ICE was there.

“My soccer coach, Coach T, called all of our parents to let them know what was happening and to help us feel better. My mom was at work and didn’t answer the phone, but she called back after hearing the coach’s message, and the coach told her more about what was happening at the school. I was then able to speak with her. I shared my fears with her and asked about my family and if they all had their papers so ICE can’t take them away. After speaking with my mom, I felt safe.

“At the end of the soccer activity when it was time to leave, my coach checked outside and reassured us that ICE was no longer outside of the school.  And once I was in the car with my dad, I felt a lot safer.  

“While I have not completely overcome my fear of ICE, and I don’t know if I ever will because they are scary, I do feel more confident about what will help me if ICE ever comes back to the school or if I am in a similar situation that overcomes me with fear. Being able to speak with my parents and my soccer coach reassured me. They let me know that they would keep me safe, and hearing that from them helped me feel less afraid.

“This experience has reminded me that when I am afraid or worried about something, it is important to be able to talk with someone about it. Having adults so they can reassure me and remind me that I will be okay helps me feel safe.

“I still worry about my friends and hope they also have people they can talk to so they can find a way to stay safe. And when they tell me they are scared, I will help try to help them feel better too.”   

Resources for families

For parents seeking to process experiences and threats of ICE with their children, a new resource is available called Operation Cacti: A Compassion Care Project. It’s an educational and biblical resource designed for families with kids ages 5-17, pastors, and churches being directly affected by current immigration policies, and for those who seek to be in solidarity with them.

The resource was developed by the Rev. Esther Robles, associate pastor for Hispanic communities at First United Church of Tampa. In collaboration with colleagues from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), including the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries and Week of Compassion, Robles put together a robust resource in just a few months, which includes Bible stories, activities, and discussion questions as a way to offer grounding and discussion around the topic in both English and Spanish.

The Operation Cacti resource received a Migration, Immigration, Refugee, Asylee (MIRA) Grant from UCC Global HOPE to support its distribution.

“It’s common that when people experience traumatic events, our impulse can be silence, but the impact is always there, and in children it can manifest in different ways,” said Megan Bergert, UCC Minister for Refugee and Migration Services. “There isn’t life training in how to deal with difficult situations and trauma, and I think instead of remaining in silence, it gives me hope that people will be able to bring into the light what’s already there.”

‘A place where God is actively present’

Operation Cacti is comprised of a storybook that includes four Bible stories about individuals and communities who moved through danger with God’s help, a manual for parents or teachers, and a special comfort item for children that includes a special blessing for the night. Storybooks and questions are written from a Hispanic-migrant, marginalized perspective, and there are additional questions designed for children removed from the immigration experience to help them be in solidarity with other children.

UCC congregations interested in requesting Operation Cacti kits for their children and youth can contact Megan Bergert by email.  

The cacti image is central to the project because cacti show resilience by growing in dry desert places, which can be dangerous, yet also filled with beauty, life, and possibility, Robles said.

“Deserts are places where people, communities, and nations have passed through for centuries in search of safety and a better place. Our shared history of faith tells us that it is also a place where God is actively present, guiding, protecting, and providing for people in unexpected ways,” she said.

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