Four Rivers Students Expose ICE’s Local Terror in New Documentary

In a region that prides itself on progressive values, the harsh realities of ICE’s immigration enforcement are often ignored or unseen. That bubble is about to be popped by the Class of 2026 at Four Rivers Charter Public School in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Their 50-minute documentary, “Living Through Fear: The Resilience of Immigrants in the United States,” shines an unflinching light on the local impact of federal immigration policies under the Trump administration’s return to power.

The students, led by seniors Vivian Wasileski and Andrew Rowan, set out to challenge the cozy narrative that western Massachusetts is untouched by the cruelty of ICE. “We tend to have a feeling that nothing bad that happens in the rest of the world affects us,” Wasileski said. “But ICE is hurting immigrants around here.”

Their film digs into the history of immigration in the U.S. and zooms in on the Pioneer Valley, featuring interviews with local immigrants, activists, lawyers, and politicians. These firsthand accounts expose the fear and disruption ICE’s raids and detentions have sown in communities from Greenfield to Springfield. The students even incorporated music and animation created by their peers, making this a fully student-driven project.

The timing is grim but telling. Since January 2025, when Trump reclaimed the White House, ICE detention numbers nationwide have surged by 75 percent, now holding a record 73,000 people. At-large arrests in communities have skyrocketed by 600 percent, with a staggering 2,450 percent increase in detentions of people without criminal records. Massachusetts, despite its progressive reputation, has seen a fivefold increase in ICE arrests compared to the previous administration, with nearly half targeting individuals solely for their immigration status.

The documentary’s creators emphasize that this is not just a story of hardship but one of resilience and hope. The film highlights local organizations and activists fighting back against ICE’s overreach. A portion of proceeds from the May 7 screening at Garden Cinemas will support the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network and other groups aiding immigrants in western Massachusetts.

For Wasileski and Rowan, this project is more than a school assignment—it’s a call to action. “We wanted it to matter and make a difference,” Rowan said. The students hope their documentary will inspire viewers to recognize that ICE’s brutality is not some distant problem but a local crisis demanding urgent attention.

“Living Through Fear” is a sharp rebuke to complacency and a testament to the power of youth-led activism against the Trump administration’s authoritarian immigration policies. In a state that claims sanctuary, these students remind us that sanctuary means nothing if we ignore the suffering in our own backyards.