After my ICE arrest, I learned one crucial way to treat trauma. We can all take part

"It started off as a normal Tuesday. On 25 March 2025 I reviewed applications from university students applying for a summer research position at my lab. I told friends I would bring pastries from Harvard Square for the Friday dinner we were planning. I finalized my schedule for an upcoming child development conference. I worked on my dissertation proposal. The day was busy but not unusual until I left home after quickly dressing for an iftar dinner at the interfaith center."

"What followed was my first personal encounter with human-made trauma through state violence. After a few minutes of walking, masked individuals suddenly surrounded, handcuffed and forced me into an unmarked car. I was unlawfully arrested, transported across state lines and detained for six weeks in inhumane conditions in a for-profit ICE prison in Louisiana because I co-authored an op-ed in the Tufts Daily."

"Trauma, with its unexpected and overwhelming nature, shatters your sense of safety and security. Simple activities become challenging. For me, many mornings now begin in sadness, and intrusive memories occupy my days. I escape some days to sleep, only to wake up with recurring nightmares of violence. Some days, numbness prevails: I spend hours wanting to cry but find myself unable to shed a tear. I often have a profound, unending fatigue."

On 25 March 2025 a routine day included reviewing student applications, finalizing a conference schedule, preparing a dissertation proposal, and planning a dinner. After leaving home for an iftar at an interfaith center, masked individuals surrounded, handcuffed, and forced the person into an unmarked car. The person was unlawfully arrested, transported across state lines, and detained for six weeks in inhumane conditions in a for-profit ICE prison in Louisiana for publicly expressing support in a campus newspaper affirming equal dignity and urging recognition of the Palestinian genocide. The detention produced severe trauma: intrusive memories, recurring nightmares, emotional numbness, and profound fatigue that impair daily functioning.

Read at www.theguardian.com