The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) school board unanimously embraced a resolution on Tuesday that forbids agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) entering school property without permission in a gesture intended to prove to immigrant students and their concerned families that they will be safe on campus.
As yet, ICE agents have not tried to find students at schools in the district; however, many families have been concerned that they might following the detention of over 120 people last month in immigration raids, board members claim. Rumors have been spreading that ICE will next raid schools in Los Angeles, although LA Unified Superintendent Michelle King has been quick to try to quell the stories.
“Neither the Los Angeles Unified School District nor the Los Angeles School Police Department is aware of any planned raids or other action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at any LA Unified school site. The District welcomes all students and all families and is committed to supporting their right to live, learn and work in their communities,” Ms King confirmed.
LAUSD is the biggest school district in the whole of the United States in terms of enrolment, and has often advocated for its immigrant student body in the past, including calling on immigration reform legislation to be passed by the federal government.
The LAUSD Board of Education president Steve Zimmer says the resolution was passed by himself and his fellow board members to reassure families. “Our message is simple and direct: our schools are safe, welcoming and embracing for all families,” he explained.