As some may know, Donald Trump was inaugurated as president with one of his biggest plans of mass deportation of undocumented individuals.
As of January 20, 2025 Trump has allowed ICE to enter areas such as schools and hospitals, which are supposed to be safe areas.
This has caused many families and students to be in fear of being arrested and deported, which has led to schools taking more measures to protect students and families.
How is CATS preparing?
Mr. Antonio Roque, assistant principal, addressed the fear felt by students and their families.
“I am a U.S. citizen, but I’m still fearful,” he said. “I’m fearful for family members that I have, for the students under my care and their families.”
“In the last couple of weeks, [I have received] several phone calls from parents and guardians who have told me that they haven’t sent their child to school because of that fear,” he explained.
He said that despite these fears, “schools are still a safe place for students to come.”
He said that despite these fears, “schools are still a safe place for students to come.”
– Mr. Roque, Assistant Principal
He added, “We will do everything in our power to make sure that no information is shared between us and any federal agent.”
For instance, LAUSD has been preparing staff and teachers on how to take action if ICE comes to schools at their location.
Even then, Mr. Roque said, “I know that if ICE agents are anywhere near, I know that the school districts across California have said that they will send alerts out to parents about ICE agents being either on campus or, you know, near campus.”
Mr. Roque said that people in the main office would need to contact administrators like himself and create “a buffer zone” so they can contact the district lawyers.
He said ICE would need to present a proper judicial warrant signed by a judge, not simply an internal warrant.
What should schools do? What should students do?
History and geography teacher Ms. Maria Salcido believes the district should work with local groups.
“I think it needs to work with community organizations, as well as, using the knowledge that the current student faculty staff have in order to create a creative solution to this,” she said.
She added that, “I think whatever plan that the school comes up with needs to deal with the physical safety and well-being of our students.”
But it’s not just students’ physical safety that schools should consider, she said.
“I think it needs to deal with addressing mental and emotional issues that might also come up, such as anxiety or students who might already have mental health issues,” she explained.
Continuing that thought, the chapter chair of the United Teachers Los Angeles Union (UTLA) and history teacher, Ms. Grace Mccullough said, “one of the first things we learn as teachers is that students can’t learn if they don’t feel safe, valued, respected. So as a teacher who holds those values dear, it’s very disturbing.”
She added that LAUSD has handed out “red cards” that let you know your rights but given a limited distribution by the district.
She goes on to shout out the Latin American Student Union (LASU) for printing more red cards and said, ”that was just a beautiful community effort.”
Ms. Grace offered some advice to families and their children.
“I think from the ground up from the members of the school, from the students and the parents, it would be good for all folks to make their own plan that makes them feel good and more secure as they can be,” she said. “I really think our strengths right now are community and education, educating ourselves about what to do and what our rights are.”
Overall, Ms. Maria Salcido stressed that the solution to this new reality has to be devised “collectively” and encouraged people to come together during these times of uncertainty.
“I have to trust that we’re going to get through this,” she said. “It’s going to be a really hard couple of four years, but it’s really up to the people, the people, the people, the people, not the government, but the people on how this is going to come out, because the government is always going to do what it wants to do.”
