Matcha, no ICE please.

Imagine being 17, juggling school, work, and caring for your siblings — and then waking up one day to find your father detained by ICE with no knowledge of his current location.

This horrifying reality is what tens of thousands of girls are experiencing daily in the U.S. at the hands of cruel immigration raids carried out by ICE. These raids stretch beyond politics: they create disturbing imprints of trauma upon young and innocent hearts.

The 2025 ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids are being enforced to detain undocumented immigrants within the United States’ borders. While ICE sometimes performs “house calls,” such raids often take place in neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools. These raids have primarily impacted the Hispanic/Latino, Black immigrant, Asian, and Muslim communities, with all of these groups facing pre-existing systemic barriers to education, healthcare, and economic stability.

When a parent or guardian is detained, many teen girls are thrown into adult roles overnight: caring for siblings, paying bills, and translating legal paperwork. Should you study for your AP Biology test tomorrow or should you figure out how to get your two siblings to school without your dad’s car? The constant fear of loved ones being detained oftentimes triggers episodes of panic attacks, depression, and even small episodes of PTSD. Even encounters with authority figures, like school security, can spark panic.

For those of us not affected by the ICE raids, our privilege is the most powerful tool we have. I’M TALKING TO YOU GIRL! 🫵🏽 You have the privilege of never having to worry about being separated from your loved ones, or ripped from your community. We must not shy away from speaking out simply because we are not living this reality. Use your privilege to speak for those who are being silenced.

Say something.

Speak out.

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For those affected by ICE raids (my heart and prayers go out to you 🫶🏾), please refer to the following mental health resources specifically for those affected by the raids. Please share these resources with anyone who might need them. Please remember to continue to protect your mental health during these frightening times. Stay informed, remain calm, and remember your rights. 🫶🏼🫶🏽🫶🏾🫶🏿

Free Mental Health Services

The Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants

USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

Palo Alto University E-clinic

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Call or Text 988. Spanish available. 24 hours, daily.

Immigrants Rising Wellness Support Groups

These 6-week Wellness Support Groups led by trained mental health providers or registered clinicians, are designed to help undocumented people feel less alone and more understood. Because these are held virtually, all undocumented individuals in the U.S. are welcome to join.

So-Cal Immigrants

The Immigrant Justice California Health Resource Guide, from the UCLA Dream Resource Center (DRC) and UCLA Labor Center, connects immigrant and refugee communities—including uninsured and/or undocumented community members—to critical services that are affordable and accessible in the State of California. The resource guide lists low-cost, culturally appropriate health care, domestic violence, and mental health services in the Central Valley, Inland Empire, Orange County, and San Diego regions of Southern California.