A quick look through ICE’s official website will give a general idea of the U.S. government’s attitude toward immigrants. In particular, a section of the website documenting recent arrests, called “Worst of the Worst,” displays an ongoing list of thousands of people with faces to go along with them. This list can be filtered by country, 75 of which were placed under immigration visa suspension starting Wednesday.

“Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,” the State Department said in a statement.

ICE and the Trump Administration’s aggressive crackdown on immigrants have cast a shroud of fear and anger, trapping the nation and its people within it.

According to the Associated Press, “as worry ripples through the region, children are skipping school or learning remotely, families are avoiding religious services and many businesses, especially in immigrant neighborhoods, have closed temporarily.”

The situation has transcended mass deportation, targeting people regardless of their legal status, according to Propublica.

This has gotten out of control. The idea of the criminal immigrant is promoted constantly by the administration. “While Americans were enjoying their weekends, our law enforcement was arresting murderers, pedophiles, rapists and gang members,” said Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin. “Despite a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them, our officers continue to put their lives on the line seven days a week to remove heinous criminals from American neighborhoods.”

The public’s fear of immigrants caused by the continual connection to criminals encourages compliance and justifies extreme actions, as we’ve begun to see.

ICE raids are getting increasingly violent, with surveillance playing an important role, and all is justified in the name of keeping America safe. Hate, violence and stripping people of their humanity are just distractions from the critical problems within the nation.

Fear is on the rise, but so is community. Protests are sprouting throughout the country, and people are angry. It might be easy to lose yourself in that anger and pain, but it is important to keep in mind how quickly that can exacerbate.

In fearful times such as these, do not let the darkness isolate you from your community. Look out for yourself and your neighbors. Know your rights, keep up with the news, and above all, stay aware of your surroundings.