The Trump administration has updated policies that now allow I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to make criminal arrests at sentistive locations, including schools, churches, and hospitals.
Federal judicial warrants for arrest or search and seizure give I.C.E. officials the right to enter a school, and are issued based on probable cause. School leaders are prohibited from physically stopping immigration officials who attempt to enter the school’s campus.
“Schools are supposed to be a safe place for students,” Costa sophomore Ava Panah said. “It’s disheartening that five year olds in this day and age have to go to school with copies of their documentation in their backpacks in big migrant communities.”
Schools across California have seen a decline in attendance rates as parents continue to stress about I.C.E. raids, even if children have documentation status. Parents are nervous for their students to attend school in fear that their child may be accidentally taken. Specifically, Mira Costa, being located close to Los Angeles’ large immigrant population, faces the potential I.C.E. raids itself: 33 percent of L.A.’s population– 4.4 million people– are immigrants.
California schools and politicians found this unnerving and have had bills pushed into the state legislature since the policy change. State senator Sasha Renee Perez has been trying to pass Senate Bill 98, which would require all schools to use emergency response systems and notify parents if I.C.E. is on campus. The bill, also known as The Safe Act, would provide parents and guardians assurance and clarity if their children were safe at school.
Without such protections put in place, the current situation renders students vulnerable in an environment meant to be safe and secure . Instilling fear in children and driving them away from school is a “major breach of civil security,” Costa junior Miles Campbell said.
Recent protests against I.C.E. raids and deportation have risen around the country. On President’s Day, Los Angelenos took to the 101 freeway, protesting the new crackdowns and aggressive policies. After all, L.A. is home to over four million immigrants, which is about one third of the total city’s population.
“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” a sign clearly posted during the protest against anti-immigration policies, serves as a stark reminder of the vital role immigrants play in our society, especially in California’s agricultural sector. Not to mention, many immigrant construction workers are contributing to the rebuilding of Los Angeles after the wildfires. With demand for construction workers already rising prices, cutting the supply of workers would raise prices even further: it’s simple supply and demand. Without workers, progress slows, costs rise, and the very foundation of the city’s growth is put at risk.
Other states are approaching this new I.C.E. order differently: A school district in Connecticut is defying Trump’s order to allow I.C.E. agents to go to sensitive locations. The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved a proposal that mandates parents to disclose their immigration status or provide proof of citizenship when enrolling their children in public schools.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman declared the day after the inauguration.
Additionally, a conservative student group called College Republicans United (which has ties to white supremacy) at Arizona State University tried organizing an event to promote reporting classmates to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) at the end of January amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown. A counter protest ensued in support of Dreamers that drowned out the far-right ASU group.
With all of this movement, it is necessary to keep in mind that the U.S Department of Education states all children are entitled to basic public elementary and secondary education regardless of race, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, and the immigration status of their parents or guardians. According to recent sources, schools in L.A. are distributing “Know Your Rights” handouts, informing students of their legal protections if confronted by an I.C.E agent.
“I think all students should have access to education no matter their documentation status. Allowing them to learn is a basic right,” Panah said.
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