Sergio Guerra, Sports Editor/Photographer 

GREENSBORO, NC – On Sunday, Feb. 2, the sidewalks and roads surrounding West Gate City Boulevard were filled with pro-immigration advocates who voiced their opposition to the Trump Administration’s nationwide immigration policies. 

Just weeks into his second term, the new president and his administration have taken aggressive action toward immigration. He has attempted to redefine birthright citizenship, denying citizenship to those born in the United States to undocumented parents. This is a right explicitly written in the US Constitution under the 14^th Amendment. Trump has also signed the Laken Riley Act into law, which requires the detention and deportation of unauthorized immigrants accused – not convicted – of theft and violent crimes. 

Increasing numbers of deportation raids across the country prompted the Greensboro population to support immigrants and take to the streets. During the march, hundreds of flags of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and other nations flew overhead. Almost every protester held a custom sign. Some of these signs praised immigrants in the United States, while others had messages directed to the commander-in-chief. 

While the sidewalks were filled with people showing their support on foot, many took to the roads in cars to play music, honk, and rev their engines to support the cause of the protest.  

When asked if there was anyone in particular that they were marching for, one protester replied, “My parents. I am a first-generation American.”  

Another woman stated that she was marching for her partner and parents. She added, “They give so much to the economy and don’t get sh*t back.” 

There is a misconception that undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes and receive benefits at the expense of US citizens, but in fact, undocumented immigrants play a huge role in the United States economy. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in total taxes in 2022.  

In addition, according to the National Immigration Forum, “Undocumented immigrants, including DACA holders, are ineligible to receive most federal public benefits.” 

Several other groups of immigrants are being targeted by the Trump administration’s new policies. Venezuelans, Haitians, and Ukrainians are some of the groups who have received Temporary Protected Status (TPS), allowing them to seek refuge in the United States without fear of deportation. Trump’s decision to end TPS for many of these groups threatens deportation. 

Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center, said to The Washington Post, “No one can argue with a straight face that country conditions have changed in Venezuela. The political repression is real, the economic collapse is real.”  

Haiti is another country that many still do not feel safe returning to, should Trump end TPS. According to the Associated Press, “longstanding unrest in their home country has given way to violent gangs ruling the streets.” 

President Trump faces stiff opposition to some of his goals, and not just from protests like the one here in Greensboro. According to a BBC report, in response to the executive order to end birthright citizenship, US federal judge John Coughenour “issued a restraining order blocking it from going into force after a 25-minute hearing on Thursday.”  The judge called the order “blatantly unconstitutional.” 

The immigrant community of this nation is holding its breath as Capitol Hill makes decisions that are impacting millions of people and could impact an entire future generation of Americans. There is no way to tell how successful the president will be in his crackdown on immigration, but one thing is for certain – there are hundreds in Greensboro who stand with the immigrant community in the face of massive reform.  

Sources:

Andres Henao, L., & Wardarski, J. (2025, January 26). Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, turn to faith amid deportation fears. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-haitian-migrants-ohio-deportation-fears-c28786fcf3b9e4f99b576330e9fb87d1 

Barrow, B. (2025, January 22). Everything Trump did in the first executive orders and actions of his presidency. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/what-has-trump-done-trump-executive-orders-f061fbe7f08c08d81509a6af20ef8fc0 

Fact sheet: Immigrants and public benefits. (2018, August 21). National Immigration Forum. https://immigrationforum.org/article/fact-sheet-immigrants-and-public-benefits/ 

Gomez Licon, A. (2025, January 24). What is the Laken Riley Act? A look at the first bill Trump just signed. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/what-is-laken-riley-act-trump-immigration-2667d626139ddf5a16d1533516eab18f 

LeVine, M., Sacchetti, M., O’Grady, S. (2025, February 4). Trump’s narrow view of TPS could imperil nearly 1 million immigrants. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/02/04/trump-tps-venezuela-immigrants/ 

Matza, M., & Yousif, N. (2025, January 23). Judge blocks Trump’s plan to end US birthright citizenship. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3605g34jx5o 

Tax payments by undocumented immigrants. (n.d.). ITEP. Retrieved February 3, 2025, from https://itep.org/undocumented-immigrants-taxes-2024/