As deportations and demonstrations make national headlines, Baylor students and faculty reflect on how immigration policy is shaping campus conversations and personal lives.

Five years after a historic winter storm crippled Texas’ power grid, even a few inches of snow can spark anxiety across the state. But as icy roads returned to Waco this week, Baylor students and engineering experts say the system, and Texans themselves, may be better prepared than before.

On both Sunday and Monday afternoons, Baylor made the official announcement that classes would shift to remote instruction, citing hazardous conditions and a regard for overall safety. This marks yet another moment where technology has redefined college experiences.

As of Thursday evening, predictions from The Weather Channel show Friday bringing mostly rain, but as temperatures go below freezing overnight and stay there Saturday, precipitation will go from freezing rain during the day and change into a wintry mix in the evening. Sunday, as of now, is expected to be mostly clear, with the storm ending overnight. But forecasts have been ever-changing as the week goes on, previously predicting multiple inches of snow.

“Noe is here legally. He has all of his papers. He’s done all of his work … He is not a criminal, and ICE picked him up. They will not let him go,” McGuire said. “We are out here protesting this because it is not American. It’s illegal, it’s unconstitutional and it’s just not right.”

The three Baylor students whose visas were revoked earlier this month have now had their visas reinstated, according to university spokesperson Lori Fogleman. It comes as part of a national maneuver on behalf of the DHS that saw 1,500 students nationwide have their student visa status temporarily reinstated.

First-generation Texans now ask themselves, what does it mean to be an American whose roots sprouted up somewhere thousands of miles away, and what does it mean to put down new roots during a time when border control and deportation are among the new administration’s top priorities?

In a Central Texas city like Waco, immigration policies are likely to impact a large portion of the population, and fear surrounding the Trump administration’s actions is real. Though raids have been carried out by federal officials in San Antonio and Austin, as of now, Waco PD says that they have not been contacted by ICE.

“Roads will become nearly impassible in some areas [and] bridges and overpasses will remain icy,” the alert said.