Since Donald Trump returned to office in late January, Americans have witnessed the roll out of several controversial policies. Despite being a sanctuary city—a place where undocumented people are protected by local law—Boston was one of the first places where these policies took effect. Just weeks after President Trump’s inauguration, immigration officers in the greater Boston area began to deport and arrest people suspected of being in the United States illegally. The enforcement of these policies not only affect the country that we live in but also the entire world. For centuries, the U.S. has been a place where people look for new opportunities. Now, the enforcement of new immigration policies have resulted in mass deportation and limitations on who can live in the United States.
At a Model U.N. conference, the Register Forum had the opportunity to interview students from all around the world regarding the Trump administration and its policies. While most delegates had a general understanding of his agenda, their perspectives varied. Two delegates, one from Brazil and the other from Canada, told the Register Forum in agreement that Donald Trump is a “very conservative president [and] very unprofessional,” adding, “He says some wild things that would normally get someone canceled, yet it still seems he can very easily get away with them.” Meanwhile, a delegate from Morocco told the Register Forum that while he understood that Trump currently “has a lot more power than his previous presidency,” he did not “know a lot of stuff about Trump’s administration.”
When asked about how they believed Trump’s policies could affect their home countries, responses varied. Some focused on economic consequences, while others spoke about immigration and the possible social impact. Two Canadian and Brazilian delegates expressed concern over economic instability, telling the Register Forum, “You can already see how it’s affecting the Canadian economy, with his threats of tariffs as well as the general national security of Canada.” They also noted that, “if the U.S. dollar goes up, the Brazilian real might go down, it could also affect the stocks in Brazil.” Meanwhile, a delegate from Pakistan emphasized the challenges immigrants now face, telling the Register Forum, “It’s making it harder for people from Pakistan to immigrate to first-world countries.” When it came to a discussion about what it means to be American, a Moroccan delegate shared a powerful perspective. He reflected about how more people are being forced out of the country and denied access, telling the Register Forum, “That is quite sad in my opinion, because diversity is incredible […] immigrants and the people that are coming from other countries are working really hard to have a place in society.”
This article also appears in our February 2025 print edition.
