A series of immigration enforcement actions and the resulting protests are reshaping the end of the school year in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Tuesday is the last day of school for LAUSD, with more than a hundred graduation ceremonies slated to happen throughout the school district this week.
It also marks the beginning of summer break; many students will be off campus, but for those who return for summer school, district leaders say there will be additional precautions to ensure federal law enforcement won’t have access to their children.
What’s happening at graduation ceremonies?
Superintendent Albert Carvalho said Monday that Los Angeles Unified police are being deployed to graduation ceremonies to set up a loose perimeter around these ceremonies, not all of which take place on school grounds.
(Read more: LAUSD leaders decry immigration raids as stoking fear during graduation season)
Carvalho said those officers can intervene and interfere if immigration enforcement officials arrive without the proper documentation to be there. School leaders were told to move families quickly into venues to avoid long lines outside.
Carvalho also said families will be able to shelter in the venue where the graduation is occurring should there be an ICE raid nearby.
There may be families in the district who don't feel comfortable attending their child's graduation at all because of their own immigration status or that of their families. Though LAUSD does not collect information about students’ immigration status, an estimated 10% of Los Angeles County residents are undocumented.
To that end, schools are trying to set up virtual options so that those ceremonies can be live-streamed.
What about summer school?
LAUSD’s month-long “Summer of Learning” program starts June 17 on hundreds of school campuses.
Carvalho said the district plans to offer the program at more sites and virtually, as well as increase transportation options “so that parents and kids can avoid what could be a difficult walk to school considering the imminent dangers.”
How are ICE raids affecting attendance?
Attendance was down Monday from the school year average, about 81% attendance compared to a 93% average — which represents a swing of tens of thousands of students. But a major caveat: finals are over and there’s less incentive to show up for class.
An LAUSD spokesperson, via email, acknowledged the dip but agreed that "it's difficult to attribute attendance to a specific reason."
Have any students been detained by ICE?
LAUSD is aware of up to seven students who have been directly affected by immigration enforcement, according to Carvalho, though he also said that this might be an undercount.
“ It is very difficult to assess at this point how many in totality, particularly adults, because in many instances, parents are afraid to report,” Carvalho said.
While he didn’t share many details, he mentioned the case of one student who was detained with his father and has now been transported to Texas.
Carvalho said the district is working with those families to try and connect them with resources, including legal aid.
What should parents do if they’re concerned about ICE detaining a member of their family?
Report immigration enforcement actions: Families that see immigration enforcement activity in the community are encouraged to contact their school or use the district's anonymous reporting app, LASAR.
Update their child's emergency contact information: Families can change this in-person at their child's school or through the Parent Portal. "If you cannot yourself go to your child's school in case of an emergency to get your child or to drop off your child, empower someone who can," Carvalho said.
Get resources: The district's family hotline is active 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By calling (213) 443-1300, families can get referrals to resources, including mental health support and free legal aid.
Reach out to their school board member: If you’re aware of an issue specific to your neighborhood, want to hear from your representative on the LAUSD school board, or want to speak up at a board meeting, here’s our guide to doing that.
Know your rights: LAist has an in-depth guide to understanding and asserting your constitutional rights.
