Across the globe, countries have acted to address the crisis of cellphone use in schools. From school districts in California to nations such as South Korea, many school systems recognize the harm that unchecked screen use poses to student engagement and learning. In contrast, Hawaiʻi doesn't have a consistent statewide phone policy.
The following editorial was originally published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Sunday, April 5th as part of the “Raise Your Hand” column in the Insight section.
Waipahu High School. 10th Grade
Anti-Trump immigration policy: Lakeisha Quitog
The American Dream — the idea that anyone can achieve success through hard work — has drawn millions throughout the nation’s 250-year history. While immigration is central to our national identity, it is also important to examine illegal immigration, a key focus of the Trump administration. Although previous presidents have carried out mass deportations, the Trump administration’s immigration policies have gone too far, as shown by the inhumanity of arrests, human rights concerns, and the violence tied to enforcement.
It cannot be overlooked that the Obama administration deported 2.7 million illegal immigrants, initially including those with minor or no criminal offenses. However, by the second term, enforcement shifted to prioritize recent border crossings and individuals with serious criminal records. While strict immigration enforcement is not new to the U.S. — or to Democratic administrations — the Trump administration’s strategy marks a significant departure, targeting illegal immigrants regardless of criminal history.
In an effort to meet a daily arrest quota of 3,000, previous policies limiting enforcement activity in protected areas, such as schools, hospitals, and courthouses, have reportedly been rescinded. As a result, enforcement has become more aggressive and inhumane, often separating families and targeting those long integrated into communities and economies.
The sharp rise in detentions has also intensified concerns about conditions within detention centers. More people died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention in 2025 than during the previous four years combined, according to the American Immigration Council. This increase is largely attributable to the awful conditions in the centers, including the use of large-scale tent camps on military bases across the nation. Reports from the American Civil Liberties Union describe instances of physical abuse and coercive tactics by immigration agents.
Additionally, some immigration enforcement operations have turned deadly. The recent killing of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — by federal agents within a short period, exemplifies the rising pattern of violence under the Trump administration. Although both cases have sparked debate over the justification of federal agents' actions, it is undeniable that the current strategy has created a tense, aggressive environment. The administration argues that its efforts are to keep the American people safe, yet its policies are producing the opposite outcome. When efforts to protect the public instead put lives at risk, it is clear the policy has gone too far.
At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that there are dangerous illegal immigrants in the U.S. For example, in February 2026, an illegal immigrant with more than 30 prior arrests went on to fatally stab a woman in Virginia. Public safety should always be a central consideration, and individuals who pose genuine threats should be subject to deportation. These cases highlight the need for immigration policy that prioritizes the safety of the American people by focusing on those who present a real danger.
However, most detainees are not vicious criminals, but regular people. Regardless of legal status, no one should be subjected to physical or mental abuse. There are a plethora of more effective, efficient, and humane ways to go about immigration enforcement, yet the Trump administration has failed to pursue them.
Above all else, it is essential to recognize that behind the deportation statistics are real people who are, more often than not, simply looking for better lives. They were drawn by the fundamental promise of the U.S.: a place where everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Pro Trump immigration policy: Jersie De Castro:
Despite efforts to cast President Trump’s immigration policies as unprecedented, strict enforcement and deportations have long been a feature of U.S. policy. Past presidents — from Bill Clinton to George W. Bush to Barack Obama — oversaw significant deportations. The removal of undocumented immigrants was long seen as an extension of national security.
Throughout his 2016 and 2024 campaigns, Trump has made immigration a central issue, promising harsher enforcement, prosecution, and removal of illegal immigrants. Over the last year, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security has been granted expanded authority to carry out these objectives.
It is important to understand the context in which the Trump administration’s policies have been implemented. The crackdown was, in large part, a response to the Biden administration’s catch-and-release approach, which allowed an estimated two million illegal immigrants to enter the country.
The surge in illegal immigration under the Biden administration raised serious public safety concerns. The tragic murder of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman in Chicago on March 19 by an illegal immigrant — who entered the country under the previous administration — underscores the real human cost of lax immigration policies. Beyond public safety, rising illegal immigration has been tied to job loss and wage suppression for U.S. citizens and legal immigrants. In this context, many Americans viewed, and continue to view, a more aggressive immigration approach as a matter of national urgency.
The lapse in enforcement under the previous administration set the stage for the Trump administration’s current efforts, which are now producing markedly different results. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, southwest border encounters reached approximately 300,000 in December 2023, while by December 2025 total nationwide encounters had fallen to around 30,000 per month.
Another key component of the Trump administration’s policy is the expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention camps, which has contributed to a sharp increase in deportations. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the Trump administration has carried out over 675,000 deportations. These numbers far exceeded the numbers under President Biden. Trump has been successful at working towards his goal of removing undocumented immigrants, though it falls short of the one million deportations the president pledged during his 2024 campaign.
Although critics have condemned the scale of deportations and ICE raids, Trump’s approach is not historically unprecedented. Previous administrations, even under Democratic presidents, have carried out comparable or higher levels of deportations. Before immigration became such a highly politicized and divisive issue, administrations of both parties acknowledged the importance of national security and the role of immigration enforcement in protecting the American working class.
However, the human cost of stricter immigration policies cannot be ignored either. Reports of human rights violations, lack of due process, and violent raids have contributed to growing divisions within the country. These concerns, combined with instances of budget misappropriation and improper handling of raids, must be addressed to achieve a truly effective immigration policy.
Overall, the Trump administration’s approach demonstrates a concerted effort to solve a problem that the previous administration left unaddressed. By enforcing stricter border control and carrying out significant deportations, the administration has taken decisive action for the benefit of everyday Americans.
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