In the face of new deportation policies under President Donald Trump, some Pali families are experiencing fear and uncertainty over their ability to continue living safely in the United States.
Upon his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump signed 10 executive orders that would expand the range of legal reasons for undocumented immigrants to be subjected to deportation, encapsulating an attempt to end birthright citizenship. The orders also granted the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) to enter sensitive locations to enforce deportation acts.
Historically, schools, places of worship and healthcare facilities have been out of the jurisdiction of ICE officers. However, a new policy from the Department of Homeland Security rescinds the safety of these protected areas.
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education Member for District Four Nick Melvoin described how LAUSD students and families could be impacted by these new policies.
“There are tons of families who are affected just through fear and anxiety,” Melvoin said. “We don’t have specific numbers, but we have a sense that there are a large number of families within LA Unified with at least one family member who’s not documented. It’s affecting attendance, it’s affecting mental health and it’s affecting academic performance.”
Pali High’s Assistant Principal Adam Licea is observing a similar pattern among families at Pali.
“We have students and families that could be affected,” Licea said. “Unfortunately, protecting students while they are off campus presents challenges. However, the best way we can support them is through education and proactive communication.”
Pali Visual and Performing Arts teacher Angélica Pereyra commented on the likelihood of ICE officers appearing at a school campus.
“Schools can not officially document who has legal status and who doesn’t of their students,” she explained. “If immigration officers come to a campus asking about legal status, we don’t have that to offer.”
Nevertheless, ICE officers can still use a school campus as a place to find parents who might be undocumented.
“A school is a place where adults from families gather, as they walk their kids to school or pick them up,” Pereyra said. “Schools are a place where adults gather and so it is more likely that immigration officers might be hanging out outside of a school, in a park nearby or a parking lot. This is the main concern that parents have.”
LAUSD and Pali are attempting to equip students with as much information and as many resources as possible to ensure their safety and their families’ safety.
Licea outlined Pali’s protocols regarding any attempt made by an ICE officer to enter the school’s campus.
“The school would not share student records, immigration status or personal information with ICE without a legal warrant,” he said. “ ICE agents would not be allowed on campus unless they present a valid court order or subpoena.”
LAUSD is implementing regulations to ensure that they are a sanctuary district to all families.
“Our campuses are closed spaces, so people can’t get onto campuses unless they come with a judicial warrant,” Melvoin said. “Unless there is a criminal warrant signed by a judge, we will not let folks onto campus. We will not share information. We will not be cooperating with any immigration enforcement actions.”
Additionally, Pali is planning to set up support groups and safe spaces for students to turn to if their family has been affected by detainment or deportation. The school will make counseling services, student support groups, know your rights workshops and confidentiality assurance available to all students.
Pali High encountered a similar situation in 2016 during Trump’s first presidential term. The school issued red cards so that students would have easy access to documentation confirming their constitutional rights.
While these red cards have been made available again to Pali students and families, easy distribution has been disrupted since Pali moved to online learning.
Pereyra explained how students can find and utilize these cards while being away from Pali’s campus.
“It communicates to the agent that a person does not wish to speak to them, answer their questions or sign or hand them any documents based on their fifth amendment right under the US Constitution,” she said.
The U.S. Constitution protects people that are documented and undocumented, which allows these cards to be a primary method of defense for intimidated students and families.
“You can imagine being concerned about being approached by an agent, and when it does happen, it’s traumatic,” Pereyra explained. “People can use these Red Cards as instructions. They allow someone to go through the gestures of being silent while still being able to communicate through the card.”
Pali’s shift to online learning has revealed some difficulties with dispersing this information amongst students.
“We’re trying to get the word out and distribute [the Red Cards] to as many places as possible,” Pereyra said. “Until we can come together physically, we are launching this campaign digitally.”
Red Card templates have been posted on Pali’s Schoology page as well LAUSD’s website.
As the U.S. enters a new era of immigration and deportation policies, Los Angeles education officials hope for schools to remain as a place of safety and growth for all students.
“Our intended actions are to keep the two realms – the immigration enforcement world and the school world – separate,” Melvoin said. “We hope that during the school day, kids can continue to learn, be with their friends and be safe. It is our duty to protect the schools so that for the kids, school is just school, and not a place of fear.”
