The murders of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers sparked colossal protests in Minneapolis and around the country that lasted for days. Last month, students from both Phoenixville Area High School and North Penn High School held individual walkouts against the actions of immigration enforcement — a reflection of the many protests and demonstrations happening throughout Philadelphia in response to the inhumane detainments and killings of many residents in the country.

So, where is Conestoga?

In the time between having written my piece one year ago titled “Jeff’s Gist: ICE terrorizes undocumented immigrants,” ICE has arrested approximately 400,000 immigrants, even though less than 14% of those arrested had “violent criminal records” according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document that CBS News obtained.

For many of us here in Tredyffrin/Easttown, we’re fortunate to live in relatively safe neighborhoods that don’t have to deal with as much violence as other parts of Pennsylvania, or the country for that matter. Elsewhere, the “cost of living” ultimately revolves around the fear and trauma of family members being torn away from loved ones to advance the administration’s wishes to eradicate anything related to minorities and those who pose a threat to its power.

Even so, ICE is not far from us at all. ICE’s presence has increased in Philadelphia suburbs, and according to a SAVVY Main Line article, Berwyn is expecting a potential DHS office, at the epicenter between Conestoga, Hillside Elementary School and the site of the soon to be opened Bear Hill Elementary School. People’s lives are on the line, yet it feels as though it is rarely being talked about, at least here in our district.

The “cost of living” begs for a social contract between citizens, administrations and institutions, or else threats become real consequences. But in this scenario, we can’t compromise. In a federal memo issued last month, the administration gave broader powers to ICE officers to detain refugees in the U.S. regardless of documentation status, specifically stating this is an effort to “heavily scrutinize immigrants, illegal and legal alike,” and even pausing applications for green cards. It is clear that this is not just a problem of citizenship, but a way of preventing the residency of all immigrants and those not deemed “American” enough.

There is justifiable fear of speaking out during these times especially at public demonstrations knowing anything can happen to you or your family. I’ve attended a number of rallies, yet I’ve realized that the most impact comes not from the megaphones at demonstrations, but from the repeated efforts in communicating what is right even in the smallest moments. Taking action doesn’t mean you have to attend public demonstrations. It can simply be educating family, friends or children on their constitutional rights and ensuring they understand what our future holds if we continue to let the administration influence hatred towards so many groups. Of course, everyone should do so knowing the risks, but if we don’t act now, that only leaves more space for ICE to infiltrate our communities.

We need ICE out. This organization has shown and been vocal that it will deport or even murder regardless of whether people are documented, U.S.-born or crime-free. We must spark discussions at home, at school and anywhere possible before we fall victim to detention centers ourselves.

Jeffrey Heng can be reached at [email protected].