First day of school tests LAUSD’s protections for immigrant families

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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LAist

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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.