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Fears of ICE raids as students return to classrooms
With August here, Bay Area school districts are getting ready to welcome students back this week. However, there are rising fears about the impact federal immigration enforcement could have on enrollment.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The first full week of August will soon see the return to classrooms for the first day of school in some school districts. But this year there are continued concerns about the potential impact of ongoing immigration enforcement on school enrollment and attendance.
Campbell Unified School District administrators on Tuesday held a meeting ahead of the first day of instruction on Aug. 20.
"There's always so much excitement about the student's first day, them getting prepared," said Pablo Viramontes, the student services director for the Campbell USD.
How to handle potential ICE presence
Those preparations now include a crash course on how to handle increased immigration enforcement, as some undocumented parents prepare to register or drop off their kids at school.
"The concern that we're having or seeing is, of course, the fear of family separation, and that's one of the top concerns," said Mariam Arif, a spokeswoman for SIREN, an immigrant rights and education network.
Shortly after his Jan. 20 inauguration, President Donald Trump rescinded a 15-year policy prohibiting ICE agents from operating near sensitive locations, including schools.
"Now ICE agents are free to go to schools, churches and hospitals. So yeah, they can walk onto a school grounds," said Prof. Bill Hing, an immigration law expert at the University of San Francisco.
Added Corina Herrera-Loera, "I really hope they don't dare to come to our schools."
She is a trustee of the Alum Rock USD and explained she and other South Bay administrators have been meeting with the Immigrant Protection and Empowerment Network since the spring. Their collective goal is to increase awareness among parents and educators who are now juggling questions about ICE access on campus.
"Make sure staff have the option to be refreshed on, for example, what our rights are. What to do if ICE was to show up...we ask for the warrants. There's no open-door policy, right? ICE just can't walk through our schools," said Herrera-Loera. Added Hing, "If ICE wants to come in and the principal says you cannot come in, ICE has to show a warrant in order to get into the school grounds. Unless it's an emergency."
A new reality
It's a new reality as a result of roundly criticized policies in Washington that may end up impacting who shows up in the classroom.
"This is definitely uncomforting knowing that it has caused our folks a bit of some attention to be abreast of the protocols and ice getting involved," said Viramontes.
Officials said parents with lingering questions should contact their local school district, adding they should definitely enroll and/or take their kids to school.
What's next:
The San Jose USD begins instruction Aug. 7; Alum Rock USD Aug. 13 and Campbell USD Aug. 20.
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay Bureau. Follow him on Instagram, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU.
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