As President Donald Trump steps up immigration enforcement operations – with ICE raids, arrests and deportations nationwide – school officials are being asked by worried parents: what will happen if the federal agency shows up on campus?
In response to Trump removing the sensitive locations immigration policy – which prevented U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from making arrests in schools, churches and hospitals – Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), stated emphatically in a recent media interview that LAUSD students will be protected.
“We shall not allow a federal entity to go into our schools to take action specific to immigration,” he said. “I have a moral and professional responsibility to care for these kids and their families.”
Evelyn Aleman, founder of “Our Voice: Communities for Quality Education,” a bilingual group for immigrant parents of school-aged children across LA, said local undocumented parents are “afraid to leave their homes, but there’s also the law that says they’ve got to send the kids to school, so they’re kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of LAUSD
“Our schools are protected ground, period. This board and this administration shall not waver from our commitment.”
To help address their concerns, last week Aleman and members of the parent group met with Carvalho, who expressed clear and firm support for students and their parents, according to Aleman. She said Carvalho emphasized that he himself is an immigrant, who arrived as an unaccompanied minor from Portugal at the age of 17 and was undocumented for several years.
Carvalho said the district has trained LAUSD administrators, teachers and staff, to teach them how to respond to federal agencies or officials seeking information or trying to enter a school.
“[Carvalho] was able to hear firsthand [from] these families … sharing their perspectives and their experiences,” said Aleman. “He was very open to listening to them and said he identifies with them. … He said, ‘I stand with you – not just the district, but I stand with you … and I’m here to stand by the children and keep them safe so they can go to school.’ That was so reassuring for the parents.”
“I want to be absolutely certain that everyone hears us loudly and clearly,” Carvalho repeated during the LAUSD Board meeting held this week, “Our schools are protected ground, period. This board and this administration shall not waver from our commitment, regardless of threat, insinuation, indictment or accusation.”
School Districts Offer Sanctuary
Last November, the LAUSD Board reaffirmed a 2017 resolution identifying LAUSD as a “sanctuary district and safe zone for families threatened by immigration enforcement.”
LAUSD also launched the “LA Unified 2025: We Are One” campaign website, which offers information and resources for students and their families, including how immigrants can create a family preparedness plan; provides access to “red cards” that list what individuals should do (and avoid) if approached by immigration officials; has a 40-page resource guide; and other resources.
John M. Paramo, Ed.D, superintendent of the Burbank Unified School District (BUSD), said in a statement that their district will also ensure that “all our students, regardless of immigration status, have access to a safe and secure learning environment.” He said the change to the sensitive locations policy “does not change our student’s constitutional rights to education or overrule state constitutional protections.”
“No student will be denied enrollment in BUSD due to their or their family’s immigration status … [and] we will not allow immigration agents on any of our [school] sites,” said Paramo.
In December, the LA City Council also officially adopted a sanctuary city ordinance, which prohibits city resources and personnel from being used to assist federal immigration officials.
Supporting Parents
During their meeting with Carvalho, Aleman said the parents discussed their mounting fears about leaving their homes – even to take their children to school. He encouraged the parents to reach out to school counselors and other members of their school communities to connect with other parents or staff willing to provide transportation to help get their children to school safely.
The parents gave their recommendations to Carvalho for disseminating information to parents, suggesting incorporating the use of videos and adding additional languages because some parents may not read or understand either Spanish or English because they speak an indigenous language.
Aleman said parents felt the meeting with Carvalho was helpful.
“They said they felt like they could trust him because they felt he was very genuine in his stance to support the families and protect the students,” she said. “He allayed some of their fears because they have a lot of fears right now. … I tell them to try to stay informed, try to stay connected and stay focused.
“Everybody is affected,” she continued. “The kids, the parents – the whole family and their whole communities.”
The parent group plans to meet with more public officials.
For more information about LAUSD’s “We Are One” resources and information, go to www.lausd.org/weareone or call the LA Unified Family Hotline at (213) 443-1300.
The writing above is one-sided and therefore socially irresponsible. It is designed to scare immigrants, create hatred, and influence elections.
ICE and the new executive order both *emphasize* that CONVICTED CRIMINALS will be sought and detained, not abuelitas, and certainly not students!
Specifically, your article is purposely deceptive and dishonest because at no point does it mention or even contain the words “convicted” nor “criminal.”
ICE agents would never be on any school grounds EXCEPT to pursue a dangerous felon. And you don’t, for one second question Carvalho’s political motivation. Always a good idea in dealing with any politico!
I learned in college how to write honest articles. You could have done so, too.