How a Los Angeles School Protects Its Students from ICE

A secondary school in south Los Angeles created security protocols and legal assistance in response to increased ICE operations. The school provides information on rights and food assistance to families afraid to leave their homes. School attendance in Los Angeles has already dropped by approximately 7,000 students.

The return to school in various communities across the United States was marked by operations by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Service. Because of this, some schools began designing their own responses. One of them is located in south Los Angeles.

Why do ICE detentions generate fear in schools?

In Danbury, Connecticut, several parents were detained near school bus stops. According to complaints, some agents waited for children to board the bus before taking action. That pattern generated alarm among families in other cities across the country.

In New Jersey, a court statement noted a similar incident. According to that document, four vehicles linked to ICE passed by a stopped school bus. Later, those vehicles headed toward a group of children waiting for another bus.

In a statement, Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, called what happened «unacceptable and un-American.» According to Cárdenas, this type of operation violates the principle of protecting all children.

What protocol did the school in south Los Angeles apply?

Faced with this scenario, assistant principal Lorena Reynoso coordinated a response with social workers and psychologists. Along with school counselors, the team designed a protocol to respond to a possible presence of immigration agents.

In statements to MindSite News, Reynoso explained that missing school directly harms students. Additionally, she assured that school staff is committed to «fighting for them» against any threat. According to Reynoso, the school recognizes families’ concerns about safety.

What concrete measures does the school offer to families?

The school program includes information about legal rights for families. Staff distribute «Know Your Rights» cards with guidance on how to act before immigration authorities.

Likewise, the school designed a mechanism to distribute food to households that avoid leaving out of fear. Many of those families fear being detained if they leave their homes.

The institution also operates under the guidelines of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). That district maintains a policy that restricts immigration agents from entering its schools. Therefore, the school seeks to preserve the classroom as a safe space.

According to Reynoso, part of the school’s work consists of cultivating cultural pride among students. In this way, the team seeks to counter the shame that some public discourse generates in the community.

What happened during the ICE operation in Lynwood?

Axel López, one of the students, approached Reynoso after an incident involving his brother. ICE agents surrounded the barbershop in Lynwood where the young man worked.

The assistant principal and other members of the school team traveled to the location. From a safe position, they documented what happened while accompanying the student.

In statements to MindSite News, López recalled that his brother was holding the doors while agents tried to force them open. According to the young man, there were many people outside shouting during the incident.

During the operation, one of the agents threatened to look for relatives of the business owner. However, the pressure from the gathered crowd caused the agents to withdraw. No arrests were recorded in that incident.

How do they affect e