Los Angeles (UTLA) members marching through downtown Los Angeles towns recovered outside the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) headquarters on Saturday, calling for strong protection for students and families vulnerable to federal immigration enforcement.
“We won’t step back,” the narrator repeated throughout the rally as educators, counselors, nurses and librarians demanded that additional measures be taken to protect undocumented and students affected by deportation.
The LAUSD Board of Directors voted in June to reaffirm all district campuses as sanctuaries, but members say these measures have not been made well. UTLA calls for concrete actions, including virtual learning options for students who are too afraid to participate in in person, counseling services for students in detained or deported families, and stricter restrictions on the presence of federal government near school campuses.
“We require that federal agents ban LAUSD from coming within two block radius of any school,” said one speaker.
Educators who witnessed the fallout of immigration enforcement shared their personal experiences directly. Serena, a teacher at the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, said she has already lost her student due to deportation and is even more worried.
“As I prepare to return to school, I am saddened to think of a more empty desk,” she said.
In response to Saturday’s march and assembly, LAUSD issued a statement confirming its commitment to student safety.
“It is clear that Los Angeles Unity and our working partners are united in a deep commitment to protecting all students, including immigrant children,” the statement read. “Together we will continue to take every step necessary to ensure that every child in Los Angeles is safe, supported and educated. It is guaranteed by the US Constitution. We will never abandon our professional and moral responsibility. All children in our care are protected.”
Lindsay Pena contributed to this report.
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