Safe Zones, Strong Voices

Teachers Stand Against Deportations as School Year Begins

By Mark Friedman, Columnist

SAN PEDRO ― Teachers at San Pedro High School’s two campuses, along with thousands across Los Angeles County, mobilized Thursday in front of schools to welcome back students with a message of strength and determination: They will protect students from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and deportations.

Volunteers in cars and vans cruised streets outside several schools, watching for signs of immigration officials. They were on the lookout for unmarked vehicles with out-of-state plates and drivers wearing vests and face masks.

Earlier in the week, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho told reporters that, given the size of the district, it was “virtually impossible … to ensure that we have one caring, compassionate individual on every street corner.” Standing alongside local mayors and labor leaders, Carvalho said, “But we are deploying resources at a level never before seen in our district.”

Parents and students were handed “Know Your Rights” flyers produced by United Teachers Los Angeles. The flyers informed families that Los Angeles Unified School District schools are designated safe zones for immigrant students, guaranteeing the right to a free public education regardless of immigration status under the U.S. Supreme Court’s Plyler v. Doe ruling.

With ICE raids reported in nearby neighborhoods, the district urged families to know their rights, avoid signing documents without an attorney, and report enforcement activity to the Los Angeles Rapid Response Network. As more than 500,000 students returned, staff increased patrols around campuses to support community safety.

At the San Pedro Olguin campus, literacy coach and UTLA officer Laura Rodriguez held a sign that read in Spanish: “Este es un espacio seguro para inmigrantes,” or “This is a safe space for immigrants.”

Rodriguez said teachers wanted parents to see them welcoming students and showing support. “We want them to know we have their backs,” she said.

Math and computer science teacher Rogan Ferguson added, “We are here representing UTLA and its values.”

Rodriguez said members of the Harbor Area Peace Patrol have been monitoring activity at Terminal Island, where ICE operates a facility. She noted the irony, given that the island is home to a memorial for Japanese Americans once sent to World War II internment camps.

“The ICE station has a lot of activity going in and out,” Rodriguez said. “They have been exchanging license plates, and they have SUVs and trucks with no license plates. So they’re doing a lot of illegal stuff.”

The veteran teacher said the Port Police have been nonresponsive to reports of questionable activity.

“It’s kind of scary out there to feel like the federal government can break laws and do what they want with no repercussions,” she said. “So we’re here to stand as a community and take action.”

Ferguson said many teachers are members of the Peace Patrol, an organization that moves in pairs before and after school, watching for ICE activity. “Teachers are invested in this,” he said. “We are disappointed that the ICE facility is in our backyard, and that has inspired people to get out and protect our community.”

Rodriguez said UTLA’s leadership conference has also backed immigrant protections through protests that attracted news coverage.

“Why are they now randomly taking hard-working people that this country needs?” she asked. “We, as a union, fight for what is right to protect our schools and community.”

Rodriguez said UTLA will be well represented at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Labor Day Parade in Wilmington on Sept. 1.

Students at San Pedro High expressed their concerns. Ellie, who asked to be identified by first name only, said raids make people feel unsafe and targeted. Cecilia, another student, said the raids are cruel because “everyone has the right to learn.” Sophie, a third student, called the raids “very unjustified.”

“My father is from Mexico and I fear for him,” Sophie said. “We are all documented, but they don’t care; they just take you. It is wrong and unjust and puts fear in people.”

In April, Carvalho criticized the federal government for using schools as stages for immigration raids, calling it “tragic” for Los Angeles schools and the community.

Since then, LAUSD has launched multiple measures to protect immigrant students, including legal information campaigns, altered transportation routes, enhanced campus security, expanded mental health resources, virtual learning options, staff training and advocacy for federal policy protections.

School board member Tanya Ortiz Franklin told Random Lengths News that the board has already set aside $46 million to prepare for possible federal funding cuts.

“We have several discussions planned this fall to finalize our fiscal stabilization plan addressing over $1 billion in losses from declining enrollment and a structural deficit,” Franklin said. “We will continue to be proactive, advocating at both the state and federal levels, to protect our students — especially our highest-need students — in both the short and long term. As we are currently in labor negotiations with several unions, this collective focus on solutions for kids while simultaneously valuing employees is both timely and critical.”

San Pedro High teacher Phylicia Hoffman expressed appreciation for some district efforts but criticized the lack of follow-through. She called for concrete measures such as a Safe Passages program with adults visibly present along student routes.

Hoffman also urged stronger advocacy at the state and federal levels on issues such as declining enrollment, SNAP benefit cuts and funding for school-based health services.

She encouraged parents to connect not only with principals but also with union chapter chairs, who are organizing school-based patrols to ensure safe passage for students. With labor talks ongoing, she said parents’ voices often carry more weight than teachers’.

“What I most want community members to know is that we all want the same things: that our children are cared for holistically,” Hoffman said. “That means from the time students arrive, they are offered meals, mental health services, arts, music, drama and dance. If we talk with each other more and organize with the community, we can accomplish a lot for students.”

Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks contributed to this story. Mark Friedman is a member of the International Association of Machinists, Local 1484, in Wilmington.