Latest news with #ArletaHighSchool
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Los Angeles school year begins amid fears over immigration enforcement
As children played in the schoolyard, there were no reports of federal agents in the area. Advertisement Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has urged immigration authorities not to conduct enforcement activity within a two-block radius of schools, starting an hour before the school day begins and until one hour after classes let out. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Hungry children, children in fear, cannot learn well,' Carvalho said in a news conference on Monday. He announced several measures intended to protect students and families, including altering bus routes to accommodate more students. The district will also distribute 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. The sprawling district, which covers more than two dozen cities, is the nation's second largest, with more than 500,000 students. Some 30,000 students are immigrants, and an estimated quarter of them are without legal status, according to the teachers' union. Advertisement Under US law, children have the right to an education regardless of immigration status. Districts across the country have grappled with what to do if federal agents came to school campuses, with some, including LA and Oakland, declaring themselves 'sanctuary' districts. While immigration agents have not detained anyone inside a school, a 15-year-old boy was pulled from a car and handcuffed outside Arleta High School in northern Los Angeles on Monday, Carvalho said. He had significant disabilities and was released after a bystander intervened in the case of 'mistaken identity,' the superintendent said. 'This is the exact type of incident that traumatizes our communities; it cannot repeat itself,' he added. Administrators at two elementary schools previously denied entry to Department of Homeland Security officials in April, and immigration agents have been seen in vehicles outside schools. DHS did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Carvalho said that while staffers and district police officers can't interfere with immigration enforcement and don't have jurisdiction beyond school property, federal agents parked in front of schools have left in the past after conversations with staff. The district is partnering with law enforcement in some cities and forming a 'rapid response' network to disseminate information about the presence of federal agents, he said. Teachers say they are concerned some students might not show up the first day. Lupe Carrasco Cardona, a high school social studies and English teacher at the Roybal Learning Center, said attendance dipped in January when President Trump took office. And when raids ramped up in June, graduation ceremonies took a hit. One raid at a Home Depot near MacArthur Park, an area with many immigrant families from Central America, took place the same morning as an eighth grade graduation at a nearby middle school. Advertisement 'People were crying. For the actual graduation ceremony, there were hardly any parents there,' Cardona said. Raids in California's Central Valley in January and February coincided with a 22 percent spike in student absences compared with the previous two school years, according to a recent study from Stanford University economist Thomas Dee and Big Local News. One 11th-grader, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be published because she is in the country without legal permission and fears being targeted, said she is afraid to return to school. 'Instead of feeling excited, really what I'm feeling is concern,' said Madelyn, a 17-year-old from Central America. 'I am very, very scared, and there is a lot of pressure.' She said she takes public transportation to school but fears being targeted on the bus by immigration agents because of her skin color. 'We are simply young people with dreams who want to study, move forward, and contribute to this country as well,' she said. Madelyn joined a club that provides support and community for immigrant students and said she intends to persevere in that work. 'I plan to continue supporting other students who need it very much, even if I feel scared,' she said. Some families who decided the in-person risk is too great opted for online learning, said Carvalho, with virtual enrollment up 7 percent this year. The district contacted at least 10,000 parents and visited more than 800 families over the summer to provide information about resources such as transportation and legal and financial support, and is deploying 1,000 workers from its central office on the first day of classes to 'critical areas' that have seen immigration raids. Advertisement 'We want no one to stay home as a result of fears,' Carvalho said.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
15-year-old Los Angeles student wrongly detained at gunpoint: How is LAUSD protecting its schools from immigration raids?
A routine school registration turned into a flashpoint over immigration enforcement in Los Angeles recently, when a 15-year-old boy with significant disabilities was allegedly detained at gunpoint outside Arleta High School. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) officials, the incident unfolded as federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security approached the family of a female student who was registering at the school. 'Today, unidentified immigration agents handcuffed, detained, and drew their guns on a BD6 student outside Arleta High School in an alleged case of mistaken identity,' LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez said in a statement. 'Such actions — violently detaining a child just outside a public school — are absolutely reprehensible and should have no place in our country.' The boy was ultimately released at the scene. According to media reports, he is a student at San Fernando High School and had gone to Arleta High only to accompany a family member for registration, according to media reports. The campus falls within LAUSD's Board District 6, which covers the eastern San Fernando Valley and is represented by Board Member Kelly Gonez. For LAUSD, the detention was more than an isolated enforcement action; it was a wake-up call to reinforce its role as a protector of vulnerable students. So, LSAUD is strengthening its safety measures to keep school kids safe. Here is how. Safe zones and virtual schools In response to incidents such as this, LAUSD has strengthened safety protocols to create 'safe zones' at and around school campuses. The district has established rapid-response protocols to address any future encounters with immigration personnel. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now These measures are designed to protect students from undue stress or disruption while on or near school grounds. LAUSD also continues to offer virtual schooling options for students affected by immigration enforcement. By enabling online learning, the district ensures continuity in education for students whose families may feel apprehensive about attending in-person classes. Enrollment in these virtual programs has reportedly increased in recent months, reflecting both the demand for alternative learning options and the anxiety that students and families are experiencing. Support for families Beyond physical safety, LAUSD has introduced a suite of initiatives to support the emotional and legal needs of immigrant families. These include: A 24/7 family hotline that provides assistance with immigration and mental health concerns. Legal referrals as part of the district's 2025 'We Are One' campaign, which aims to actively involve immigrant families in school affairs. The 'We Have Rights' empowerment campaign, offering guidance on common immigration enforcement encounters through animated resources in seven languages. Weekly workshops beginning August 22 to educate students and families on their legal rights and to provide practical support in navigating enforcement situations. These initiatives are part of LAUSD's broader effort to ensure that immigrant families feel included, supported, and informed within the school community. The new lesson plan in America's schools: Fear Recent immigration enforcement policies under the Trump administration — marked by ambiguity over who will be arrested and how long they may be detained — are fueling chronic anxiety among students. This anxiety, according to a July report by psychiatric researchers at the University of California, Riverside, and New York University, has been linked to absenteeism, classroom disengagement, and heightened emotional distress. The researchers wrote that such fears have driven some students 'to avoid school or withdraw from public life.' While the report underscores schools' importance in identifying and supporting students' mental health needs early, it also warns that they can become sites where immigrant youth 'experience trauma-related avoidance, disengagement, or behavioral challenges.' TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us
CNN
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Trump's immigration crackdown is raising fears as the school year gets underway in Los Angeles
Los Angeles students and teachers return to class for the new academic year Thursday under a cloud of apprehension after a summer filled with immigration raids and amid worries schools could become a target in the Trump administration's aggressive crackdown. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has urged immigration authorities not to conduct enforcement activity within a two-block radius around schools starting an hour before the school day begins and until one hour after classes let out. 'Hungry children, children in fear, cannot learn well,' Carvalho said in a news conference. He also announced measures intended to protect students and families, including adding or altering bus routes to accommodate more students. The district is to distribute a family preparedness packet that includes know-your-rights information, emergency contact updates and tips on designating a backup caregiver in case a parent is detained. The sprawling district, which covers more than two dozen cities, is the nation's second largest with more than 500,000 students. According to the teachers' union, 30,000 students are immigrants, and an estimated quarter of them are without legal status. While immigration agents have not detained anyone inside a school, a 15-year-old boy was pulled from a car and handcuffed outside Arleta High School in northern Los Angeles on Monday, Carvalho said. He had significant disabilities and was released after a bystander intervened in the case of 'mistaken identity,' the superintendent said. 'This is the exact type of incident that traumatizes our communities; it cannot repeat itself,' he added. Administrators at two elementary schools previously denied entry to officials from the Department of Homeland Security in April, and immigration agents have been seen in vehicles outside schools. DHS did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Carvalho said that while staffers and district police officers cannot interfere with immigration enforcement and do not have jurisdiction beyond school property, they have had conversations with federal agents parked in front of schools that resulted in them leaving. The district is partnering with local law enforcement in some cities and forming a 'rapid response' network to disseminate information about the presence of federal agents, he said. Teachers say they are concerned some students might not show up the first day. Lupe Carrasco Cardona, a high school social studies and English teacher at the Roybal Learning Center, said attendance saw a small dip in January when President Donald Trump took office. The raids ramped up in June right before graduations, putting a damper on ceremonies. One raid at a Home Depot near MacArthur Park, an area with many immigrant families from Central America, took place the same morning as an 8th grade graduation at a nearby middle school. 'People were crying, for the actual graduation ceremony there were hardly any parents there,' Cardona said. The next week, at her high school graduation, the school rented two buses to transport parents to the ceremony downtown. Ultimately many of the seats were empty, unlike other graduations. One 11th grader, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be published because she is in the country without legal permission and fears being targeted, said she is afraid to return to school. 'Instead of feeling excited, really what I'm feeling is concern,' said Madelyn, a 17-year-old from Central America. 'I am very, very scared, and there is a lot of pressure.' She added that she takes public transportation to school but fears being targeted on the bus by immigration agents because of her skin color. 'We are simply young people with dreams who want to study, move forward and contribute to this country as well,' she said. Madelyn joined a club that provides support and community for immigrant students and said she intends to persevere in that work. 'I plan to continue supporting other students who need it very much, even if I feel scared,' she said. 'But I have to be brave.' Some families who decide that the risk is too great to show up in-person have opted for online learning instead, according to Carvalho, with virtual enrollment up 7% this year. The district has also contacted at least 10,000 parents and visited more than 800 families over the summer to provide information about resources like transportation, legal and financial support and are deploying 1,000 workers from the district's central office on the first day of classes to 'critical areas' that have seen immigration raids. 'We want no one to stay home as a result of fears,' Carvalho said.
NBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Los Angeles school year begins amid fears over immigration enforcement
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles students and teachers return to class for the new academic year Thursday under a cloud of apprehension after a summer filled with immigration raids and amid worries that schools could become a target in the Trump administration's aggressive crackdown. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has urged immigration authorities not to conduct enforcement activity within a two-block radius around schools starting an hour before the school day begins and until one hour after it classes let out. 'Hungry children, children in fear, cannot learn well,' Carvalho said in a news conference. He also announced a number of measures intended to protect students and families, including adding or altering bus routes to accommodate more students. The district is to distribute a family preparedness packet that includes know-your-rights information, emergency contact updates and tips on designating a backup caregiver in case a parent is detained. The sprawling district, which covers more than two dozen cities, is the nation's second largest with more than 500,000 students. According to the teachers' union, 30,000 students are immigrants, and an estimated quarter of them are without legal status. Federal immigration enforcement near schools causes concern While immigration agents have not detained anyone inside a school, a 15-year-old boy was pulled from a car and handcuffed outside Arleta High School in northern Los Angeles on Monday, Carvalho said. He had significant disabilities and was released after a bystander intervened in the case of 'mistaken identity,' the superintendent said. 'This is the exact type of incident that traumatizes our communities; it cannot repeat itself,' he added. Administrators at two elementary schools previously denied entry to officials from the Department of Homeland Security in April, and immigration agents have been seen in vehicles outside schools. DHS did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Carvalho said that while staffers and district police officers cannot interfere with immigration enforcement and do not have jurisdiction beyond school property, they have had conversations with federal agents parked in front of schools that resulted in them leaving. The district is partnering with local law enforcement in some cities and forming a 'rapid response' network to disseminate information about the presence of federal agents, he said. Educators worry about attendance Teachers say they are concerned some students might not show up the first day. Lupe Carrasco Cardona, a high school social studies and English teacher at the Roybal Learning Center, said attendance saw a small dip in January when President Donald Trump took office. The raids ramped up in June right before graduations, putting a damper on ceremonies. One raid at a Home Depot near MacArthur Park, an area with many immigrant families from Central America, took place the same morning as an 8th grade graduation at a nearby middle school. 'People were crying, for the actual graduation ceremony there were hardly any parents there,' Cardona said. The next week, at her high school graduation, the school rented two buses to transport parents to the ceremony downtown. Ultimately many of the seats were empty, unlike other graduations. One 11th grader, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be published because she is in the country without legal permission and fears being targeted, said she is afraid to return to school. 'Instead of feeling excited, really what I'm feeling is concern,' said Madelyn, a 17-year-old from Central America. 'I am very, very scared, and there is a lot of pressure.' She added that she takes public transportation to school but fears being targeted on the bus by immigration agents because of her skin color. 'We are simply young people with dreams who want to study, move forward and contribute to this country as well,' she said. Madelyn joined a club that provides support and community for immigrant students and said she intends to persevere in that work. 'I plan to continue supporting other students who need it very much, even if I feel scared,' she said. 'But I have to be brave.' Some families who decide that the risk is too great to show up in-person have opted for online learning instead, according to Carvalho, with virtual enrollment up 7% this year. The district has also contacted at least 10,000 parents and visited more than 800 families over the summer to provide information about resources like transportation, legal and financial support and are deploying 1,000 workers from the district's central office on the first day of classes to 'critical areas' that have seen immigration raids. 'We want no one to stay home as a result of fears,' Carvalho said.
5 days ago
- Politics
Los Angeles school year begins amid fears over immigration enforcement
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles students and teachers return to class for the new academic year Thursday under a cloud of apprehension after a summer filled with immigration raids and amid worries that schools could become a target in the Trump administration's aggressive crackdown. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has urged immigration authorities not to conduct enforcement activity within a two-block radius around schools starting an hour before the school day begins and until one hour after it classes let out. 'Hungry children, children in fear, cannot learn well,' Carvalho said in a news conference. He also announced a number of measures intended to protect students and families, including adding or altering bus routes to accommodate more students. The district is to distribute a family preparedness packet that includes know-your-rights information, emergency contact updates and tips on designating a backup caregiver in case a parent is detained. The sprawling district, which covers more than two dozen cities, is the nation's second largest with more than 500,000 students. According to the teachers' union, 30,000 students are immigrants, and an estimated quarter of them are without legal status. While immigration agents have not detained anyone inside a school, a 15-year-old boy was pulled from a car and handcuffed outside Arleta High School in northern Los Angeles on Monday, Carvalho said. He had significant disabilities and was released after a bystander intervened in the case of 'mistaken identity,' the superintendent said. 'This is the exact type of incident that traumatizes our communities; it cannot repeat itself,' he added. Administrators at two elementary schools previously denied entry to officials from the Department of Homeland Security in April, and immigration agents have been seen in vehicles outside schools. Carvalho said that while staffers and district police officers cannot interfere with immigration enforcement and do not have jurisdiction beyond school property, they have had conversations with federal agents parked in front of schools that resulted in them leaving. The district is partnering with local law enforcement in some cities and forming a 'rapid response' network to disseminate information about the presence of federal agents, he said. Teachers say they are concerned some students might not show up the first day. Lupe Carrasco Cardona, a high school social studies and English teacher at the Roybal Learning Center, said attendance saw a small dip in January when President Donald Trump took office. The raids ramped up in June right before graduations, putting a damper on ceremonies. One raid at a Home Depot near MacArthur Park, an area with many immigrant families from Central America, took place the same morning as an 8th grade graduation at a nearby middle school. 'People were crying, for the actual graduation ceremony there were hardly any parents there,' Cardona said. The next week, at her high school graduation, the school rented two buses to transport parents to the ceremony downtown. Ultimately many of the seats were empty, unlike other graduations. One 11th grader, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be published because she is in the country without legal permission and fears being targeted, said she is afraid to return to school. 'Instead of feeling excited, really what I'm feeling is concern,' said Madelyn, a 17-year-old from Central America. 'I am very, very scared, and there is a lot of pressure.' She added that she takes public transportation to school but fears being targeted on the bus by immigration agents because of her skin color. 'We are simply young people with dreams who want to study, move forward and contribute to this country as well,' she said. Madelyn joined a club that provides support and community for immigrant students and said she intends to persevere in that work. 'I plan to continue supporting other students who need it very much, even if I feel scared,' she said. 'But I have to be brave.' Some families who decide that the risk is too great to show up in-person have opted for online learning instead, according to Carvalho, with virtual enrollment up 7% this year. The district has also contacted at least 10,000 parents and visited more than 800 families over the summer to provide information about resources like transportation, legal and financial support and are deploying 1,000 workers from the district's central office on the first day of classes to 'critical areas' that have seen immigration raids. 'We want no one to stay home as a result of fears,' Carvalho said.
