NOVEMBER 28, 2025 DEPORTATIONS Effects of mass deportation on community HANNAH BLYVEIS U-M student contributor The University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions Speaker Series is open to the public and engages with critical issues related to poverty. On Friday, Oct. 17, I attended a talk by Dr. William Lopez discussing mass deportation and its effects on communities. Dr. Lopez, Clinical Associate Professor of Public Health and Faculty Associate in Latina/o Studies at the University of Michigan, is an accomplished author. One thing that makes him stand out is his emphasis on truly connecting with the communities he works with. Because of these connections, he is able to hear and record compelling firsthand accounts that illustrate the consequences of deportation in a raw, genuine way. He earned degrees in psychology, public health and health behavior/ education from Notre Dame, University of Texas Health Science Center, and U-M. His research centers on how immigration enforcement and structural racism affect health. Dr. Lopez largely drew from his research on immigration and deportation resistance for his two books, “Separated: Family and Community in the Aftermath of an Immigration Raid" and "Raiding the Heartland: An American Story of Deportation and Resistance.” These personal stories formed the core of both his writing and presentation. At the beginning of his talk, Dr. Lopez described the effects of mass deportation, using examples from worksite raids — contrasting the common language and conception of deportation. The biggest emphasis was “community members do not stand by idly when their neighbors are deported, instead communities resist.” This quote captured the heart of his research and set the tone for the rest of his lecture, emphasizing collective strength in the face of fear. One way this resistance appeared was local faith-based and other organizations coming together to support affected families. Dr. Lopez also spoke about how schools and teachers struggled to help students after raids. He shared the story of a teacher named Leah. “It’s weird, it’s one of those defining moments. It was like, I remember what happened when 9-11 happened. I remember stuff like when the Challenger blew up, the space shuttle. This is one of those things,” Leah said. She was describing the weight on teachers that comes from feelings of responsibility for students' well-being. Some children continued attending school daily, while others missed significant time after losing parents or facing trauma. These absences created learning gaps that teachers were left to bridge. Dr. Lopez’s statistics help humanize those affected. For example, one in 20 people in the United States live in mixed status households, and about two-thirds of undocumented immigrants have lived here for over 10 years. These numbers show how deportation uproots people who have already built deep roots and relationships and are entrenched in their communities. Regardless of political stance, these stories humanize those impacted. His talk critically examined the nature and tactics of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency while highlighting the unity and resistance within communities under threat. One example from his research was in Bean Station, Tennessee, a small city of about 3,000 people with a small but significant Hispanic population. These people make up a chunk of the store owners and customers, as they have deep roots here. When a worksite raid occurred there, 97 people were detained. While not all were deported, the lives and families of these individuals were deeply affected. He highlighted that in the days after the raid, local teachers reported student absences jumping from around 75 on a typical day to over 530. This spike showed how much fear and disruption the raid created, especially for Hispanic students whose grades and health suffered. Dr. Lopez shared several powerful examples of community resilience. Churches, food banks and local groups mobilized to provide childcare, meals and emotional support for those left behind. He also described the grievances regarding the tactics used by immigration authorities: the suddenness of arrests, the lack of clear information, and the inadequate conditions in detention centers. These details revealed how structural systems disrupted people’s daily lives beyond the statistics. He also touched on mass deportation rather than deportation in general. He briefly acknowledged how the Trump administration carried out around 1.5 million deportations so far, compared to nearly five million during Obama’s presidency and just over four million under Biden. Dr. Lopez, however, was less highlighting the numbers themselves and more on the aggressiveness of current enforcement tactics and their lasting emotional impact on families. Overall, this was a valuable GROUNDCOVER NEWS 9 Dr. Bill Lopez, U-M Professor of Public Health and Poverty Solutions advisor has written two books on the impact of deportations on community. opportunity. It was a welcoming environment for diverse viewpoints, but still grounded in empathy and evidence. Dr. Lopez’s research revealed not just the suffering caused by deportation, but also the resilience and solidarity that arise in response. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to listen to his speech; it had eye-opening and very humanizing aspects that brought this issue to light.
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