On Febr. 16, several businesses in Storm Lake closed their doors for the day as a part of a national event highlighting the impact of immigrants on the economy. Many ethnic groups, collectively, were asked not to spend any money, close their doors, and not go to school.

“On Thursday, February 16 we had 775 kids who were absent from school,” says Dr. Carl Turner, superintendent of Storm Lake Public High School.

That’s 30% of the students who attend Storm Lake schools. On a normal day, only roughly five percent are absent.

The Storm Lake schools are 80% non-Caucasian so the political rhetoric regarding immigration reform has caused a great deal of stress for students and families, as described by Turner. The stress and fear has also been fertile ground for false reports on social media.

The day was a response to a series of executive orders that were put out by the Trump administration regarding immigration reform and undocumented immigration enforcement.

“There is a level of fear on what the future holds for folks who are under lawful visas where the visa program might be in question, for folks who are of refugee status, on what their status might be in the future, and the ability for family members and loved ones who are also refugees to join them in our country coming from places where they believe they are in harm’s way,” says Chief of Police Mark Prosser.

The Storm Lake Police Department plans on continuing to support local citizens as always, doing their best to serve the community. The department doesn’t have any intentions of getting involved with immigration enforcement.

“It’s a large ship to turn and I’m hopeful that cooler heads at a federal level will come together and reform our immigration system and really create a doable process for these folks,” says Prosser.

Prosser believes the country as a whole has turned a blind eye to undocumented immigrants for decades and thinks it’s time to address the issue. He thinks they should provide a process for them to come out of the shadows and become visible members of communities.

“It’s a very complex issue, it’s a very emotional issue, and because our community is so diverse, tension runs high,” says Prosser.

People in the community who are concerned about the issue are talking about how they can help. Storm Lake continues to work together to live in a safe environment that provides equality to all.