President Trump has been in office less than three months, but he already has had major influence on Americans. Regardless of citizens’ negative or positive views of his actions, it cannot be denied changes are happening.

Trump is proud of delivering on his campaign messages.  About half of Americans are happy about the changes, and the other half is horrified.

According to a Gallup poll that tracks approval ratings, Donald Trump is at 35% approval on Day 65.

It’s important to follow and understand the changes. These changes affect local communities, such as our school community.

Muslim Ban (Immigration Ban):

While the federal courts may have refused to reinstate Trump’s immigration ban policy, it doesn’t null the effects that have already begun. When the executive order was first issued on January 25th, it established that people in seven majorly Muslim countries were not allowed to immigrate. Syrian refugees are among those targeted. President Trump has accelerated  the detention of illegal immigrants in the nation.

On March 6, the executive branch issued a second ban.  On March 15, the Maryland court struck down the second immigration ban.

However, this has sent much of the public into an uproar. The uproar is fueled by the fact that people with valid registration and papers were still being detained even though they were legally living in the United States. The ban  altered the viability of visas and green-cards as well. Those with dual citizenship are also affected by the ban.

“My daughter is an immigration lawyer, so it affected her in a way. She went to the airports to try to help the immigrants. When the ban was suspended [the first time], she had some of her clients who are out of the country need to return, and she is trying to help them to come back as soon as possible,” said foreign language teacher, Mrs. Dagana Blonder.

A Hawaii federal judge, Derrick Watson, made news by going against the ban as well on March 15th by issuing a restraining order against the ban to prevent it from taking effect the following day. This made Hawaii the first state to really challenge the ban. As of March 16th, Maryland also challenged the ban when a Maryland federal judge, Theodre D. Chuang ruled against the ban.

Even people within our community are being impacted.  Blonder also said, “I really think it doesn’t matter whether your friends or family are affected by the ban but it’s really who you are and what you stand for, and I definitely stand against it.”

Regardless of race or religion, it is important for us to try to understand one another and support each other in our community. Our school should be a place where students feel safe and secure, along with being able to rely on the staff of the building as well.

LGBT Rights:

Although Trump has stated he will not try to revoke previously established LGBT community rights like he promised to do in his campaign, the community is still wary knowing how his vice president views the community. Many members of minority groups are also wary the official statement is only to calm the masses and not an actual legitimate support  given the previous things Trump has said about them before officially taking office.

So how does this affect the members of the Linganore community? There are students within the community who are part of the GSA club (Gay Straight Alliance) or who support it that are affected.

“I know he said he wouldn’t do anything to affect LGBT rights, but it still makes me very scared knowing how him and Pence have talked negatively about the community in the past,” says Annie Watsic.

As of February 22nd, the Trump administration withdrew the federal protections for transgender students. Not only are people angry that he went back on his word, but people are also upset due to the loss of rights. Now that the law is no longer a federal guideline, not all states have to enforce it, which can result in abuse of LGBT students, primarily those who are transgender.

With protests already sparking nationwide, it’s clear that backlash over the decision will continue to grow. Whether or not Trump’s administration will change the decision seems unlikely. This means that trans students are going to be facing more problems than they already do. So what can we do as a school to help support each other?

Students and staff have to work together to create a supportive environment. By being open minded, and kind to others it makes the school feel like a safer place. The safer the school feels, the safer students will feel. That will give students struggling with the new administration in the White House, have some comfort.

Frederick County public schools has issued a clear policy that welcomes all and supports all groups.  At LHS, the GSA has been visible by holding their annual dance and club discussions.

Linganore is composed of a diverse student body. Everyone is similar in a way, but they all have their differences, too. Whether the difference be race or gender, attending the same high school connects the student body as a whole. Change can be scary and intimidating, and with the change of president, many students in the school have mixed feelings on the subject matter. But together through strength and support, our students and staff can come together to create a safe, sanctuary school.