The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has reported at least three cases within a week, with immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) agents allegedly targeting community members. Two cases were reported by parents and students, while the third was reported by school bus drivers.
LAUSD Principal Alberto Cavallo described the situation as “poorly mad” and a clear attempt to instill fear.
“It seemed to cause a threat [and] It disrupts the educational environment or creates situations where individuals fear going to school,” Cavallo said.
Recognizing the severity of the situation, Cavallo took him to social media to warn the public. In the post, he said, “We know of reports that individuals who claim to be law enforcement or ice agents are approaching some in our community.” .
The incident reportedly occurred on school property, but it directly affects parents, students and school employees, according to the superintendent.
In one instance, the bus driver was flagged by an individual who claimed to be an ice agent who flashed the badge. Following district protocols, the driver quickly closed the door and kicked him out.
“We don’t think that individuals are ice agents. Usually these operations are not performed by one individual,” explained Cavallo.
NBC contacted ICE for comment but has not yet received a response. But the agency said before. “ICE’s enforcement resources are based on Intelligence Reporting Agency leads, and ICE personnel do not indiscriminately target non-citizens.”
Cavallo noted that similar incidents have been reported nationwide, including ice impersonation. In South Carolina, a man was arrested for impersonating an ice officer and confronting a Latinx man in a pickup truck. Another arrest was made at Temple University for a similar crime.
Local parents have expressed deep concern about the incident and warn their children to remain vigilant.
Claudia Ramos, a mother of a student at LAUSD, said she instructed her children to be extremely careful. “There are a lot of people out there with bad intentions,” she said.
Meanwhile, some students and parents refuse to be threatened. Benjamin Gutierrez, the father of LAUSD students, said that people are not afraid to continue to confront these threats and express themselves during ongoing student demonstrations of ice policies in front of city hall. He said he wanted it.
“They’re not going to scare anyone here,” Gutierrez said.
According to Cavallo, the protest appears to have affected school attendance. “This Monday, our attendance was about 20% lower than a regular Monday,” he said.
He encouraged them to protest on school grounds where they might be safer, while he supported students to exercise their rights to free speech.
Accepting that many students come from or are not documented families, Cavallo said that schools are providing support to help them navigate this crisis. I’ve assured the community.
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