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On Thursday, February 26, Academy held a Community Café with Emelia Sheeley, executive director of Riverview International Center(RIC), a Columbus-based nonprofit that helps new Americans make their transition to the US more seamless and welcoming. Several students, including current senior Lynn Y., have participated in internships with RIC through Columbus Academy’s Internship Program.
Sheeley spoke with students and faculty on the Fireside about the current situation in our local communities regarding the presence of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). I attended the talk and felt it was a meaningful effort by the school to foster conversation surrounding this ongoing issue. During the Café, Ms. Sheeley shared that many families in Columbus are afraid to leave their homes out of fear of being apprehended by ICE. When asked how community members could help, she suggested volunteering as grocery deliverers for families who are too frightened to go to the store themselves. Additionally, she discussed the lack of transparency and information coming out of ICE detention centers. She described one client detained at Butler County’s jail who wrote that he was receiving only two meager meals a day and had limited access to proper hygiene items.
Regarding Sheeley’s view on the current immigration system, she stated that she did not believe in the modern-day construct of borders. To me, that statement initially felt profound. However, given the constant national debate about how to balance border security with the need for accessible and fair legal immigration pathways, the comment seemed to overlook the urgency of the issue. It felt like an idealistic response, one that might apply in a perfect world, but not one grounded in the practical realities we face. For students who are looking for tangible solutions to real and immediate problems, the statement may have felt incomplete or less genuine. At the same time, the absence of a clear solution reflects just how complicated the immigration debate truly is.
The event, nonetheless, was a first step for us to start conversations about immigration. Dr. Losambe mentioned that future sessions will offer diverse perspectives on the immigration system, providing a well-rounded understanding of the issue. Please consider attending the next one to learn more about what is happening in our city.
