Daily News Lesson

SHOW ALL

May 14, 2025, 1:45 p.m.

Family who lived through 1950s U.S. deportation effort reflects on current climate

NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?

SUMMARY

The Trump administration’s immigration policies have created fear and uncertainty for many communities, including people who lived through an earlier crackdown. Santiago Campos of News Hour's journalism training program, PBS News Student Reporting Labs, talked to his family members about how they view this moment.

View the transcript of the story.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

  1. When did the mass deportation reported in this story take place? Who was president at the time?
  2. Who were the people targeted in this mass deportation?
  3. Where did undocumented migrants live, and what were the living conditions like?
  4. Why did those like Marco Santos, who grew up in the years after the mass deportation, still feel like they were under threat despite not experiencing being deported?
  5. What was the process like to cross border patrol checkpoints in the 1980s and 90s?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

  1. Why do you think that the Eisenhower administration deported American citizens along with undocumented immigrants?
  2. What do you know about American citizens being deported under the Trump administration?

Media literacy: What did you think about hearing the perspective of a student reporter and his family? Would you like to see more segments like this?

WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO

Watch the video below to learn about the cases of children with U.S citizenship who have been deported along with their mothers.

  1. Why do you think that these mothers were prevented from speaking to their families and attorneys before being deported?
  2. What do you think about Trump's comments saying that the mothers wanted to be deported with their children? Discuss with a classmate.

For a more in-depth look at Trump's immigration policies and other legislation passed during his first 100 days, complete this Daily News Lesson.

Written by Gianfranco Beran and Vic Pasquantonio.

Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources.

Recent Daily News Lessons

securingthevote-e1791575581663

Daily News Lesson

Monitoring the Midterms: How do officials test voting machines?

Discuss ways officials look to secure elections, and what challenges remain

press

Daily News Lesson

How media outlets are pushing back against Trump's selective press ban

Discuss the ways media outlets have fought for inclusion as part of the White House press pool

FS-food-bank

Daily News Lesson

Cuts to federal benefits push many Americans to food banks

Discuss the impact of cuts to nutrition assistance and the strain on local food banks

vote2026-2-e1791838323889

Daily News Lesson

Monitoring the Midterms: Water access major issue in Western states

Discuss how drought and water access have become more important to voters in some states than even the economy

SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

PBS News Hour Classroom

Copyright © 2025 News Hour Production LLC. All Rights Reserved

Illustrations by Annamaria Ward