How the Trump administration benefits from fear

By TARA ROMERO — tcrome@ucdavis.edu

On March 8, 2025, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestine activist at Columbia University, for using his right to free speech. A U.S. court has ruled the Donald Trump administration is within their rights to deport Khalil, a legal permanent resident, on the basis that his “presence in the U.S. was adverse to American foreign policy interests.” 

On April 5, 2025, the federal government terminated the F-1 visas of seven international students and five recent alumni from UC Davis, without any explicit explanation. Now, the numbers have risen to 14 current students and nine graduates. 

Although there is no evidence released that links these UC Davis students to pro-Palestine protests, the Trump administration has stated they are actively deporting international students across the country for speaking out against the genocide in Gaza. Not only is this an infringement on the rights of international students, but it is also an outright censorship regime meant to inflict fear upon students for speaking out.

By threatening deportation as a punishment for involvement in pro-Palestine protests, the Trump administration is trying to set a standard of conformity. Being in the U.S. means conforming to “American foreign policy interests” — even if those interests mean endorsing the genocide of Palestinian people, according to the Trump administration. 

International students, especially those who refuse to conform to the Trump administration’s beliefs, are now threatened with deportation — to be stripped from their homes, communities, friends and opportunities to achieve their goals at their respective universities. 

By threatening and enacting deportations, the Trump administration is intentionally trying to silence the movement for a free Palestine. They want protesters to be scared to speak out, in fear of being deported next — so they will not speak out at all.

  It’s certainly not new for the Trump administration to threaten deportation as a form of “punishment.” Since 2016, we have seen the Trump administration quite loudly mobilize to deport undocumented Latino immigrants in order to invoke fear amongst undocumented communities. Instead of giving undocumented immigrants the resources to get the right paperwork, ICE detains and deports as “punishment” for not entering the “proper” way.

For undocumented immigrants to advocate for themselves, they risk making their immigration status known — placing themselves and their families at a higher potential risk for deportation. In both immigration cases, the Trump administration benefits from each group’s fear. The quieter the opposition, the better. 

It’s important to remember, however, that this is not solely the Trump administration’s doing. Both Zionist and anti-immigrant rhetoric is not a one-party issue. The Joe Biden administration financially supported Israel’s military and its genocide of the Palestinian people and deported the highest number of undocumented immigrants since 2014. As easy as it is to point the finger at Trump, the reality is that neither side is listening to the needs of the people. The Biden administration’s regressive politics in silence should not be overshadowed by the Trump administration’s loud and brash fear-mongering actions and suggest larger structural problems within our country.

That being said, the Trump administration’s reliance on fear rhetoric is especially dangerous at the current moment. He’s stripping people of their right to free speech and then  holding people’s immigration status over their heads to prevent them from advocating for themselves and others.

Trump has built his entire campaign on fear-mongering. Lies like “they’re taking your jobs” and “they’re all terrorists and criminals” parade across Fox News to resonate with the fears of White Americans. He speaks to these racist and xenophobic fears with intention. He places the identity of the white man at risk so that he can strategically place himself as the hero to make their fear go away by deporting and displacing human beings. 

Through Trump’s fear-inducing rhetoric, we have seen how he uses terror in two ways: in motivating and in silencing — the classic fight or flight. The Trump administration is doing both simultaneously. Through every enactment, he is motivating this white supremacist regime, prioritizing power and control over all else. At the same time, these enactments create uncertainty and fear for immigrants whose livelihoods are being put at risk. 

We can either hide in fear or use this fear as motivation to continue to resist — there’s really only one option. We’ve seen this bravery already: International students continue to lead pro-Palestinian protests, and for decades, undocumented immigrants have actively advocated for themselves and their communities.

To every international, undocumented and immigrant student at UC Davis who is feeling anxious and uncertain right now, your choice to speak up is your own: but know that many students are standing with you. And, to those of you whose citizenship is not at risk: Use your voice — you have nothing to lose. 

Written by: Tara Romero— tcrome@ucdavis.edu

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

Ways technological advancements can be both detrimental and beneficial to the environment

By ELLIE NOH — eenoh@ucdavis.edu

With the plethora of recent technological advancements — from electronics to artificial intelligence (AI) — there are many positive implications in terms of improved environmental measures. However, what are ways in which these technologies might negatively impact the environment?

One of the ways that these technological developments can have a detrimental impact is through their reliance on a constant source of energy. If such sources of energy are not renewable, this dependency can cause various harmful effects on the environment. This includes contributing to climate change and global warming through the combustion of fossil fuels, which causes air pollution. Additionally, energy usage can create a need for water cooling systems, in order to cool down power plants.

Another underlying effect of such technologies is the need to dispose of electronics after they are used. Commonly known as “e-waste” or electronic waste, many electronics, such as phones, are considered difficult to recycle or break down. This is due to the various mixtures of metals and toxic components that go into ensuring that they function properly. 

Because of these recycling challenges, it is fundamental to dispose of these electronics correctly. Without proper disposal, such harmful components can end up in the water and in the earth, causing further pollution. Due to the constant changes and upgrades to electronics, the amount of e-waste is continually increasing. Thus, it is important to keep in mind the impact of always purchasing the newest popular item, versus maximizing the usage of the products you already have.

While it is crucial to keep in mind these various negative impacts on the environment, advancements of technology have also resulted in numerous benefits. With regards to the development of AI, it can prove helpful for environmental data analysis, especially when it comes to mapping ecosystems. Additionally, AI is now able to detect different types of waste to assist with waste sorting, which is helpful for industries such as recycling. 

Within the agriculture sector and beyond, there are also improvements in terms of resource allocation. In order to support society, agriculture plays a crucial role in cultivating the food that ends up on our dinner tables. To foster environmentally friendly solutions, precision agriculture — a developing field — is actively helping to decrease the amount of fertilizer and water wasted.

Other positive results of current technological advancements include improvements to common environmental technologies used for renewable energy. This includes hydropower, wind turbines, solar panels and more eco-friendly energy strategies that replace fossil fuels.

As the need for technology increases over time, it is important to consider that there are environmental impacts accompanying these changes. While some technologies help mitigate environmental issues, they need to be managed properly to ensure a more secure pathway to a greener future.

Written by: Ellie Noh — eenoh@ucdavis.edu

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

The ancient Greek myth of the sirens continues to fuel a harmful portrayal of  women in the media

By JHANA RHODES — jsrho@ucdavis.edu

If Homer’s “Odyssey” taught me anything, it’s that the unfair stereotype of women as “sirens” is inherently dangerous and manipulative, with a long history dating back to ancient myth. While sirens aren’t the beautiful half-woman, half-fish mermaids prevalent in pop culture today, their original portrayal, immortalized by Ancient Greek poet Homer, depicts a much more terrifying hybrid: creatures with the body of a bird and the head of a woman.

To fully understand the genesis of the siren archetype, we must first look at how society has viewed women historically. Women have long been characterized as irrational and more easily swayed by their desires and, if left unchecked, capable of leading men astray. A real-life example of this stereotype includes (but is not limited to) the witchcraft trials in Europe and North America, where women were accused of witchcraft by those who feared their sexuality, power and perceived influence.

This perception of women likely contributed to the creation of beings like the mythical sirens. However, this archetype isn’t unique to Greek mythology. There are countless examples in ancient and religious texts, such as the Judeo-Christian narrative of Eve — a story that has been used historically to portray women as temptresses leading men to destruction or “sin.”

Given how society has historically viewed women, it’s interesting to note how the portrayal of sirens has shifted over time. Perhaps influenced by rising mermaid folklore or by varying artistic interpretations, the perception of sirens strayed from their original depiction, which relied less on their looks and more on the fact that their enchanting voices were their deadliest weapon.

In contemporary versions of the siren, retellings rely more on how these sirens appeared, luring men with not only their voices but their seductive beauty as well. This emphasis on physical beauty as a tool of temptation is what ultimately solidified a harmful archetype imposed on women today.

Even when we aren’t seeing a bunch of mermaids on screen, the archetype is heavily present in modern media tropes. The femme fatale, the cold and calculating career woman, the black widow — the tropes that have been used to label women are endless. Another familiar example is the “gold-digger”: someone who pursues a relationship with a (wealthy) person for the sole purpose of financial gain.

The late actress and model, Anna Nicole Smith (26 years old at the time), was a tragic example of how unfairly this label can be wielded. When she pursued a relationship and married American businessman Howard Marshall (89 years old at the time), Smith was relentlessly vilified by the media. The media’s narrative often focused closely on her supposed ulterior motives, without considering her own perspectives or experiences. This branding ultimately stripped her of her agency, reducing her to a caricature of a woman who used her physical appearance for financial gain. Of course, this issue isn’t unique to Smith, as there is an underlying societal bias about women who wield power and wealth — prejudices that can highlight the parallels between the label of the “gold-digger” and the siren archetype.

The constant, negative portrayal of women as “sirens” confines women to two extremes. They are either an idealized version of purity or a manipulative and cunning temptress. It’s important that the media and society remember that women have their own motivations, goals and agency beyond their physical appearance. Only by moving past archetypes like the siren are we able to foster a more respectful environment and facilitate a more authentic representation of women in the media.

Written by: Jhana Rhodes— jsrho@ucdavis.edu 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.