Children in Los Angeles returned to school on Thursday with new measures in place to protect them from the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has said it will deploy employees, volunteers and school police to patrol the streets around more than 100 schools, expanding “safe zones” to protect students and parents before and after school.
Newsweek has contacted LAUSD and the Department of Homeland Security for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours.
Why It Matters
The measures in the nation’s second-largest school district, which has more than 500,000 students, comes after a summer filled with raids. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents regularly sweep public places in Los Angeles and other cities to detain people in a bid to reach President Donald Trump‘s goal of 1 million deportations a year.
Upon Trump’s return to office in January, the Department of Homeland Security reversed the Biden administration’s policy of prohibiting ICE agents from operating in or near schools, churches and other “sensitive locations.”
On Monday, fears over the government’s immigration enforcement tactics were heightened after federal agents drew their guns on and handcuffed a 15-year-old student with disabilities outside Arleta High School in a case of mistaken identity.
Under U.S. law, children have the right to an education regardless of their immigration status, but educators are concerned that parents may keep students at home out of fear of being targeted by federal agents.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo
What To Know
At a news conference on Monday, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced several measures intended to protect students and families.
He said more than 1,000 workers from the district’s central office would be deployed on the first day of classes to “critical areas” that had been most affected by immigration raids.
Carvalho also said the district would partner with community-based organizations and accept volunteers to patrol and report ICE operations near schools.
“The deployment of central office staff to assist schools, to assist parents and students, is going to remain in place for as long as we need it to be,” he said.
The district is also altering bus routes to accommodate more students and distributing family preparedness packets that include know-your-rights information, emergency contact updates and tips on designating a backup caregiver in case a parent is detained.
Carvalho urged immigration authorities not to conduct enforcement activity within a two-block radius of schools, starting an hour before the school day begins until one hour after classes let out.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for LAUSD previously told Newsweek: “We will never ask about or share a student’s immigration status unless required by law, and we are committed to maintaining safe zones around our schools. Our message is clear: every child belongs in school, and we will do everything in our power to keep our campuses safe, supportive, and welcoming for all.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at Monday’s news conference: “One thing that you have seen in our region over the last couple of months is complete unity. You have seen unity across cities. You have seen unity across leaders because we all believe in a core principle that we will do what we can to defend the rights of Angelenos and to protect one another from the administration’s discriminatory tactics.”
She added: “Together, we can reaffirm to our community, parents, teachers and families our unwavering commitment to do everything we can and in our power to keep kids safe as they return.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social in June: “ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History. In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.”
What Happens Next
The measures intended to promote student safety are expected to continue as needed, according to Carvalho.
Debate over the tactics of federal immigration enforcement is also sure to continue.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.