So far, local education officials say, no immigration officers have tried to set foot on Long Beach Unified School District campuses since the Trump Administration rescinded rules that blocked them from carrying out most enforcement actions at sensitive areas like schools and churches.
But news this week that Department of Homeland Security officials recently showed up at two Los Angeles Unified campuses has raised anxieties that it could happen here.
“We should all be deeply angered and concerned by the attempt of Homeland Security agents to access two elementary schools in Southeast Los Angeles,” Congressman Robert Garcia, who represents Long Beach and the areas around the two schools in question.
In those cases, LAUSD employees quickly turned away the agents, who were seeking information on five students in first through sixth grades, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said Thursday.
According to a report in EdSource, a statewide nonprofit newsroom:
The authorities were dressed casually and only presented identification when asked by the principals of the schools, Carvalho told reporters. He also claimed the officials quickly hid their credentials when the principals attempted to write down their information.
According to Carvalho, the agents said they wanted access “to the students to determine their well-being” because they had come to the United States as unaccompanied minors.
The agents said they were authorized by the students’ caretakers to go to the campuses, but the district has since confirmed the assertion to be false by speaking with the caretakers, Carvalho said.
Staff at Long Beach Unified schools are trained to respond similarly. In response to the Trump Administration’s January decision to rescind enforcement restrictions, LBUSD officials met on March 19 to discuss their protocols.
Unless an immigration officer has an arrest or search warrant signed by a judge or insists there’s an emergency in progress, the LBUSD says they’re not allowed to access students or the campus.
“Unless there’s an actual arrest warrant that’s issued by a judge, minors would not be turned over,” LBUSD General Counsel Jeffrey Riel told Board of Education members. And if any immigration officials did try to contact students, their parents would be notified immediately, he said.
LBUSD policy outlines this and other instructions in step-by-step procedures for school staff.
Those instructions include documenting the officers’ identities and their stated reason for coming to campus.
Staff “should not attempt to physically impede the officer, even if the officer” appears to be entering campus without proper authorization, the policy says, but staff are told to make it clear they’re not consenting to the officer’s presence and closely document what’s happening to preserve any evidence that they’re violating the Fourth Amendment, which bars unreasonable searches and seizures.
So far, LBUSD staff has not needed to put that training into action.
“I want to be very clear that that has not happened, and that we will continue to do everything we can to prevent that and be very proactive and responsive in the event that it did occur,” LBUSD Deputy Superintendent Tiffany Brown told Board of Education members.
She also emphasized that the school district does not collect any immigration-related data.
With heightened concern about immigration agents visiting schools, Board of Education member Juan Benitez said the LBUSD needs to ensure parents and students know these policies are in place.
“Real or perceived, there is still fear, real fear, and ramifications for instance on attendance right in our school,” he said.
Staff writer Jacob Sisneros contributed to this report.