The Brief

Some Los Angeles Unified families returned to campus Thursday carrying fears about immigration raids along with the annual first-day jitters, excitement and sleepiness.

More than 4,000 people have been arrested across the region since June and it’s still unclear how the threat of detention may affect whether students show up to school and, if they do, what type of support they might need.

Florinda S. said she was afraid to let her sons leave the house this summer because they’re undocumented. We are only using her first name to protect her family’s safety.

“We couldn’t go to the park, I only went from work to home,” she said in Spanish.

Florinda said the decision to bring her kids to their West Adams school was driven in part because she didn’t have the opportunity to finish her education.

“I want my sons to have a good future and I hope [the school] can support them,” she said.

Returning to school in an uncertain climate

Georgina Garcia is a senior at Legacy STEAM Academy in South Gate. Over the summer, she said she saw fewer people out and about in the majority Latino community.

“ It wasn't about enjoying, it was more about protection this summer,” Garcia said. For example, she visited family in Mexico like in years past.

Fellow Legacy student Carly Hernandez said she appreciated getting “red cards” from her school with information about how to defend her rights.  

"Not only is it beneficial to us students, but we were able to share with our families, our loved ones,” Hernandez said.

District leaders have sought to reassure families and get the word out about additional resources in a series of news conferences and interviews over the last two weeks.

“Every child, regardless of immigration status, based on the Constitution of our nation, has a right to a free, public education, of high quality, period,” Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said last week before trying the latest dishes on the menu at LAUSD cafeterias. “We are following the law.”

Among the additional steps to protect immigrant students and families:

• New bus routes to pick up students whose families may feel uncomfortable walking or driving them to school. Carvalho said as of Thursday, 300 families requested and received a ride.
• A protocol to lock down schools in the event of a nearby immigration raid. 
• A “rapid communication task force” headed by a former L.A. school police chief to spread information between school sites and law enforcement agencies. 
• Calls to 11,000 families and 1,200 home visits to offer resources and support — for example, to English language learners, students at newcomer academies, and those who stopped coming to school toward the end of last school year as immigration enforcement actions ramped up. 
• The distribution of information packets to students in English and Spanish about how to interact with immigration agents, create a plan to care for their child in an emergency and get resources. 

Campus aide Joshua Brown greets students by name and their choice of fist bump, high or low-five on the first day of school at 24th Street Elementary. "I'm just trying to bring happiness," Brown said. "We're ready to fight all the challenges."

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Mariana Dale

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How did teachers prepare?

Los Angeles Unified educators and community members planned to blanket the communities surrounding schools to report immigration enforcement actions and welcome students back to campus after a summer of widespread immigration raids.

 “We are trying to make sure that students return to school and see that they are welcomed and that they are received with smiles,” said Maria Miranda, a longtime South L.A. educator who’s now a vice president in the teachers union. “We know that there are a lot of our students who are wondering if their friends are gonna come back or not.”

Unión del Barrio hosted a virtual meeting Wednesday evening to prepare for community school patrols on the first day of classes. Organizers shared information on how to identify immigration enforcement vehicles and verify a school’s plan to respond to federal agents.

“As teachers we are part of the frontline of the defense of our students and community,” teacher Ron Gochez told the call of more than 300 people. “We're proud of that because not only do we get to work with students and educate them, but we also have that responsibility to make sure that they're OK.”

At 24th Street Elementary on Thursday morning, families walked their children through a tunnel of balloons and cheers, including from the Rams mascot, before entering the school’s front doors.

“We used to have a line outside the door,” said Assistant Principal Ruby Chavez. “Now we bring our families in.”

Chavez has been an educator in LAUSD for almost 30 years. This is her second school year at 24th Street Elementary.

“We've always been the safest place in the community, the most welcoming place for students,” Chavez said. As she spoke, LAist pointed to a teacher that held the hand of a young boy after he started to cry on the way to class. “Exactly, because learning doesn't take place unless our students are, happy and comfortable, well fed and feel safe.”

Parent Vivian Figueroa said the way staff greeted her second-grade son by name at the front doors — and the secured entrance — reassured her.

“It's like a family, everyone knows each other,” Figueroa said.

What’s the role of local law enforcement?

Families may also notice the increased presence of local law enforcement agencies.

For example, Vernon Mayor Leticia Lopez said at Monday news conference that their local police force would  respond to calls for service at the school on behalf of the Los Angeles School Police Department so those officers can focus on other campuses within the district.

That’s caused some concern among advocates who want less police presence at LAUSD schools.

 ”We're hoping that a lot of that work is done by community members and community leaders and not so much [heavy] on police,” Miranda said. “Because we've seen this summer that these law enforcement agencies… have become aggressive toward the community itself.”

The union has collaborated with the district on plans to support immigrant students and lead its own workshops for educators and labor unions throughout the state, Miranda said.

The topics include how to respond to federal agents, direct families to resources and recognize when kids may be struggling with their mental health.

Can federal agents enter LAUSD campuses?

LAUSD declared its campuses off-limits to immigration enforcement agents in 2016 during President Donald Trump’s first administration. The district reaffirmed its “sanctuary district” policy not to share information or cooperate with immigration authorities last October.

The district reports more than 350 of its employees work and live in the U.S. through programs for immigrants to arrive in the country as children or who fled danger.

The superintendent has repeatedly stated that immigration enforcement agents do not have access to school campuses, activities or buses unless they can provide a signed judicial warrant.

 "Despite the challenges, the anxiety, the fear, which is palpable in our community, I see nothing but happiness, joy, true excitement," Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said at 24th Street Elementary Thursday morning.

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Mariana Dale

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LAist

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In April, staff at two LAUSD elementary schools turned away Homeland Security agents who sought access to five students to conduct “wellness checks.” Advocates for immigrant children’s defense groups said these checks could be a tool for removing kids from the country. Indeed several school-age children have been detained and deported since the start of the raids this summer, including a 9-year-old Torrance boy.

Will students show up?

Fewer students have attended LAUSD schools in recent years as fewer babies are born and cost of living in the region has increased. The 408,000 students enrolled last year represent a 40% decline from two decades ago.

It’s unclear how many families may have already left the district since the raids started in the last days of the school year.

Other families may opt for an online option. Carvalho said Monday there’s been a 7% increase in sign-ups for its virtual academy.

“There's nothing like face-to-face education, but we understand… some families facing a level of fear that is unacceptable for a child to experience,” Carvalho said.

Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.

A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.

“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.

Ferrer is on the board of the new foundation, The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, which held its first meeting Thursday.

She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.

Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.

The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.

More cuts expected

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.

“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”

Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.

The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.

Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.

If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.

Board members

The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA announced its founding board of directors, which includes:

• Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Department of Public Health director
• Debbie I. Chang, Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO
• Sean Penn, actor and co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Martha Santana-Chin, LA Care Health Plan CEO
• Saree Kayne, R&S Kayne Foundation CEO
• Danny Trejo, actor and restaurateur
• Jarrett Barrios, an executive at the American Red Cross
• Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Dean
• Kristin McCowan, an executive at the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena may be a centenarian, but it’s holding up pretty well as it continues to host events on its way to a starring role in the LA28 Olympics.

But before it can host the soccer final, it needs fixes, especially to the infrastructure serving the bathrooms and drinking fountains. Fears of a toilet backup while in the world’s spotlight led Rep. Laura Friedman to seek federal funds for upgrades. On Thursday she announced she secured just over $1 million.

“Two years from now, athletes around the world are going to compete for gold right where we are standing. This is not the time to find out whether or not these pipes are up to the task,” Friedman said.

The planned work, she added, will lead to improved water flow capacity and water drainage, eliminating the risk of backups and emergency maintenance.

The funds came from the House of Representatives Interior and Environment subcommittee. The fixes, an official said, will be completed by the LA28 Olympics.

The funds, however, are a drop in the bucket when it comes to what’s needed to make needed improvements to the Pasadena venue.

Officials, including (left to right) Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation President Dedan Brozino, Deputy Fire Chief of the City of Pasadena Tim Sell, Congresswoman Laura Friedman, and Rose Bowl Stadium CEO Jens Weiden announced infrastructure funding for the 103-year old Rose Bowl.

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“Over the  next 20 years there's about $200 million that we need to put in and that's everything from updating light fixtures to updating gas, water, wastewater lines, etc.,” said Dedan Brozino,  president of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the Rose Bowl stadium's preservation and enhancement.

Getting venues ready will be expensive

The money is a much-needed win at a time when elected officials in city, county, state and federal offices have been struggling to find the funds to get L.A.-area venues ready for the global Olympic stage in two years.

The entrance to a men's bathroom at the Rose Bowl.

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A $360 million proposal to spruce up asphalt in parking lots around Exposition Park won’t be done in time for the Olympics, as originally planned. Meanwhile, just up the street, there’s concern that a $2.6 billion expansion of the L.A. Convention Center, which is hosting Olympic wrestling, fencing and judo in 2028 won’t be ready for the Olympics.

Additionally, to save money, LA28 organizers moved Olympic diving to the Rose Bowl complex last year because it has two Olympic-sized pools, while the Exposition Park complex doesn't and would need expensive upgrades.

Topline:

About the chick: The chick hatched March 14. The zoo opened its Cape vulture enclosure in February 2025 after years of planning to encourage the birds to roost and nest, welcoming a new breeding pair that year. When it grows to be an adult, it’ll have a wingspan of 8 1/2 feet.

About the enclosure: The L.A. Zoo said it spent years developing the vulture habitat, which was designed to mimic the vultures’ natural environment in South Africa and nearby countries. Dominick Dorsa II, the zoo’s director of animal care, said in a statement the successful hatching is “a testament to the design and construction” of the habitat.

How to see the chick: You can’t for the time being. Zoo officials are keeping it away from visitors until the chick matures, though you can still see adult Cape vultures at the zoo’s enclosure.

Though visitors will have to wait until the chick matures to see it in the enclosure, you can still take in the impressive eight and a half foot wingspan of the adult Cape vultures.

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Courtesy Jamie Pham/L.A. Zoo

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What zoo officials are saying: “Welcoming a Cape vulture chick is a thrilling moment for our team and a beacon of hope for African vultures,” the L.A. Zoo’s curator of birds Rose Legato said in a statement. “Vultures are one of nature's most misunderstood marvels, and I cannot wait for our guests to eventually watch this chick grow and learn just how vital they are to our ecosystems.”

About the species: Cape vultures are listed as a vulnerable species due to human activities and encroachment. According to the L.A. Zoo, African vultures are more closely related to eagles and hawks than vultures native to the Americas, like the zoo's California condors that hatched last year.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

What should have been a celebration for formerly incarcerated youth completing a reentry program at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) last week instead ended with seven students and two staff members detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to witnesses. 

Now, nearly a week later, BHAC staff and city officials are demanding answers from the LAPD, with some accusing officers of racial profiling. 

According to the LAPD, officers observed a large group gathered on the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Mott Street around 4:16 p.m. on March 26. Authorities then requested backup for what they described as “a large group surrounding officers,” LAPD Public Information Officer Tony Im said. 

The group, classified by police as an “aggressive gang group,” consisted of seven 18-year-old students from the BHAC’s Bridge Academy Movement (BAM) program and two BHAC staff members.

The BAM program pays formerly incarcerated youth to complete 200-250 hours in media and visual arts training to prepare them for creative careers. That day, students were set to showcase their work at the BAM program graduation for families and community members. 

Rene Weber, a teaching artist at the BHAC, had been with the students setting up for the ceremony minutes before the incident occurred. 

According to Weber, the students had gone to coffee across the street at Milpa Kitchen as they often did, when staff were alerted that they were being detained. 

Weber said he arrived to find students and a staff member pressed against the wall in handcuffs. 

Video from the scene, taken by a staff member at the BHAC, shows multiple officers surrounding the group. At one point, an officer orders a person to “get on the wall” and displays a stun gun.  

“No, none of that, these are kids right here,” the staff member replies.

Another staff member, Teotl Veliz, recorded a large police response.  

“I counted 12 cop cars, that’s at least 25 cops, and they had a helicopter,” Veliz said. “It was just so comedic, tragically comedic, that it was on their graduation day too.”

Officers established a perimeter with yellow tape along the side of Ashley’s Beauty Salon as local business owners and witnesses gathered around the students. 

“I was just incredibly disappointed in LAPD… because it became so apparent to everybody, all at the same time, that it was racial profiling and nothing else,” Veliz said.

Weber said officers gave shifting explanations for the stop at the scene, including blocking the sidewalk and possible underage vaping. After Weber told the officers that all of the students were 18, they said they would investigate whether the group had any gang affiliation. 

Police have not responded to questions about what led officers to believe that the group was gang-affiliated. 

Weber recalled pleading with the officers to let the group go and explaining to them that they worked across the street. Community members and local business owners also stepped in to vouch for the students. 

“Our job is to help them gain a new perspective on life,” Weber said. “They’re coming out of juvenile detention and they’re turning their lives around. We can do our part in keeping them off the streets and keeping them doing better but what does it mean if they’re going to be profiled and treated exactly the same way?” 

In total, seven 18-year-old students and two staff members were detained. BHAC staff said one student and one staff member were taken to Hollenbeck Community Police Station and released less than two hours later after advocacy from community members and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.

The incident ultimately resulted in an infraction for smoking a cannabis e-vape on a public sidewalk, according to a photo of the infraction shared with the Beat. LAPD did not provide details about the people taken to Hollenbeck Station or the infraction. 

The graduation ceremony was cancelled that night and is expected to be rescheduled in April. 

“Graduation should be a moment of pride and possibility — not fear,” Jurado said in a statement. “I’m seeking answers about what occurred, and this underscores the need for stronger relationships between law enforcement and community organizations so moments like these are protected, not disrupted.”

Carmelita Ramirez‑Sanchez, the conservatory’s executive director, said she was grateful to the community and Jurado for advocating for the students’ release. Jurado met her at Hollenbeck Station within 20 minutes of being alerted to the incident, she said. 

“They had store owners, señoras, barbers, that ran out and were trying to explain to the police who our kids were,” Ramirez‑Sanchez said. 

Still, she said the incident tarnished what should have been a joyous celebration.

“I imagine that what this does is derail this entire idea that you can be an active participant in your own restorative growth,” she said.