Los Angeles Schools Resume Amid Immigration Enforcement Fears

Los Angeles students and teachers resumed classes for the new academic year amid widespread anxiety over potential immigration enforcement near schools. Following a summer marked by federal immigration raids, many undocumented immigrant students and families are returning to school under a cloud of fear. At 93rd Street Elementary School, volunteers from activist group Union del Barrio patrolled the neighborhood, while staff wearing bright orange vests greeted students, some of whom arrived alone [1].

Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, has urged immigration authorities not to conduct enforcement actions within a two-block radius of schools for at least an hour before and after school hours. In a recent news conference, he emphasized that “hungry children, children in fear, cannot learn well.” The district announced a range of protective measures, including revised bus routes, the distribution of family preparedness packets, and the formation of a “rapid response” network to monitor the presence of federal agents [1].

The district, covering over 500,000 students across more than two dozen cities, includes an estimated 30,000 immigrant students, of whom about 7,500 are undocumented, according to the teachers’ union. While U.S. law guarantees education to all children regardless of immigration status, the proximity of immigration agents to school campuses has caused alarm. A 15-year-old boy with significant disabilities was handcuffed outside Arleta High School on Monday, an incident described by Carvalho as “mistaken identity” after a bystander intervened [1].

Educators report that fear of immigration enforcement has already impacted attendance. In January 2025, during the early days of President Donald Trump’s administration, attendance declined, and similar patterns emerged when immigration raids intensified in June. One such raid occurred the same morning as an 8th-grade graduation in the MacArthur Park neighborhood, which has a large population of Central American immigrants. Parents who were detained missed the event entirely, leaving students visibly upset [1].

A 17-year-old student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fears of being targeted, described her apprehension about returning to school. “Instead of feeling excited, really what I’m feeling is concern,” she said. “I am very, very scared, and there is a lot of pressure.” She added that she takes public transportation to school and fears being targeted on the bus because of her appearance. Despite her fears, she said she plans to continue supporting immigrant students through a school club [1].

The district has taken proactive steps to address these concerns. More than 10,000 families were contacted over the summer, and over 800 were visited in person to provide resources, including transportation, legal, and financial support. Carvalho has also deployed 1,000 district workers to “critical areas” to assist on the first day of school. Virtual enrollment has increased by 7%, with some families choosing online learning due to the perceived risks of in-person attendance [1].

Carvalho emphasized the district’s commitment to ensuring that no child stays home out of fear. “We want no one to stay home as a result of fears,” he said. While school staff and police do not have the authority to interfere with immigration enforcement, past experiences show that conversations with officials have sometimes led to agents leaving the area [1].

The situation reflects broader tensions between educational institutions and federal immigration policies. The Los Angeles Unified School District, like others across the country, continues to navigate the challenges of balancing legal responsibilities with the emotional and logistical needs of immigrant communities [1].

Source:

[1] Los Angeles high school resumes: Thousands of immigrants without legal status return to class under cloud of fear (https://fortune.com/2025/08/15/los-angeles-high-school-immigration-enforcement-students-ice/)