Around 540,000 students from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) are returning to school this week. But with their return comes uncertainty amid the federal immigration raids that have terrorized the southland this summer under President Donald Trump’s direction.
The Trump administration has tried to “make an example” of the city by showing its force and deploying masked, unidentified agents to snatch people off the street with no warrant or probable cause.
Raids have been increasing again this week, as the administration blatantly defies a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by a federal LA district judge and upheld by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Questions loom surrounding student attendance this year, as immigrant families fear that United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents may be waiting for them outside of their children’s schools.
“We want no one to stay home as a result of fears,” said Superintendent Alberto Carvalho at a press conference on Monday, where he announced that LAUSD is updating policies, adjusting bus routes, deploying staff and volunteers and forming a task force led by former School Police Chief Steven Zipperman to reassure students and families of a safe return to school.
“As a father, as a teacher, principal, superintendent, alongside these honorable leaders in our community, I think we all agree that in our community, there are no sidewalks for immigrants and separate sidewalks for everybody else,” said Carvalho, who is himself an immigrant from Portugal. “Everybody walks the same journey to school and … back home.”
Mayor Karen Bass joined the announcement alongside other regional municipal and labor leaders, but quickly left after her statements.
“I do want to … register how profound this moment is, how profound this moment is in U.S. history, but also in the history of our region,” said Bass. “Here you have an entire array of elected officials, appointed officials, education leaders, people committed to our children, and we are gathered here today to talk about protecting our children from the federal government.”
LAUSD Increases Security for its Students and Families
In its effort to protect LAUSD families, the district is conducting an information campaign. It has mailed and emailed “family preparedness packs” to households, which will also be sent home with students on the first day of school. The packets include information on rights, resources, LAUSD’s “compassion fund” and how to update emergency contacts.
For families concerned about safe passage for their children due to ICE activity, Carvalho announced the district’s expansion of bus routes.
“We have added additional bus routes to ensure that we have transportation for all,” said Carvalho. “We are appealing to our community parents, if you are afraid of being on the street with your child, we more than likely can accommodate a specific bus route for your child.”
For those reluctant to let their child leave their home, Carvalho encouraged enrollment in LAUSD’s virtual academies, which allow students to take online classes from anywhere with internet access.
Parents and guardians can contact schools, principals or counselors for information on transportation and virtual programs.
On the first day of school, more than 1,000 employees will be stationed in “critical areas” identified as high priority due to ICE activity. LAUSD will partner with labor and community groups to provide volunteers who will serve as a visible presence and report ICE operations near campuses.
Emergency crisis teams will also walk with students and families or make home visits when needed.
“We hope that through our communication efforts, our awareness efforts, information and the direct counseling with students and parents that [we] will be able to provide stable attendance for kids in our community,” Carvalho said.
Border Patrol Activity Outside Arleta High School
If this week’s incident outside of Arleta High School is any indication of what is to come, LAUSD and the city need to prepare for the worst.
At around 9:15 a.m. on Monday, while a student was enrolling at Arleta High School, nearly a dozen masked Border Patrol agents detained and handcuffed a San Fernando High School student with mental disabilities who was waiting in a vehicle with his grandmother.
“This young man was placed in handcuffs, presumably based on mistaken identity. He was not an adult. He’s a 15-year-old boy with significant disabilities,” said Carvalho during a press conference later that day.
The principal of Arleta called the LA School Police Department and the young man was later released, according to Carvalho.
“The release will not release him from what he experienced,” said Carvalho. “The trauma will linger.”
Not only did the unidentified federal agents handcuff a child without presenting a warrant or asking questions, but video from the incident reveals they dropped unused ammunition outside the school.
When school police called the federal agency and requested that they retrieve the bullets they left behind, Carvalho said the response the district received was, “You guys can keep them and use them at the target practice range.”
“That example says all we need to know about why these actions should not be taking place around schools,” he exclaimed.
LAUSD Has Limited Jurisdiction
District officials emphasized that federal agents are not allowed on school grounds without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
Earlier this year, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents attempted to enter two LAUSD elementary schools, but were denied entry by school administrators.
“They have no power in entering our schools,” Carvalho said. “We do not grant them access.”
The issue is that LAUSD loses its jurisdiction outside of its gates, where the immigration actions are actually taking place. This is why the district PD and city law enforcement are increasing communication channels and rapid response networks, officials said.
“The School Police and the Los Angeles Police Department have a strong working relationship and will continue to share information as appropriate as needed,” Bass assured. “Neither police departments assist with immigration enforcement, and have not for many, many years.”
Although school and local law enforcement may not be assisting ICE activity, they are also not intervening – even when it is clear that federal agents are acting illegitimately.
“We cannot interfere with legitimate actions, even if we find them illegitimate actions, taken by federal law enforcement entities. We cannot interfere with them. That is breaking the law,” said Carvalho. “Our best tool … to balance out the loss of jurisdiction and power in those areas outside of our schools, is awareness, rapid communication and rapid deployment of coordinated resources.”
Carvalho further pleaded for those in power to designate a one- to two-block radius “areas of protection” one hour before the school day begins and one hour after the school day ends, where no immigration actions can take place.
Families needing more assistance can call the LAUSD Family Hotline at (213) 443-1300.
City News Service contributed to this article.