Photography Courtesy of Julian Lucas
Originally Published for Vice Media ©2014
There are some very good bills just introduced in the California Assembly and Senate seeking to provide some protection for immigrants. California’s AB 49 and SB 48 aim to keep federal agents from detaining undocumented students or their families on or near school property without a warrant. While these bills, if passed, would not override federal law, they would work to make it safer for children of immigrants to attend school by making it harder and more time-consuming for agents to enter schools or daycare centers. It is limited—it would delay arrests, though it would not stop them.
In 2014, Murrieta, California, became the site of intense protests as demonstrators clashed over the arrival of buses carrying immigrant families. Protesters held signs with messages like “Save our children from diseases” and “U.S. citizens don’t get a free pass—why should illegals?” These slogans reflected the fear and resistance some Americans feel toward undocumented immigration, even as immigrant families seek safety and stability. That divide remains stark today.
It is important to keep students in school learning, documented or undocumented—not only for their future but for ours as well. Education is one of the most effective tools to create opportunity and stability, both for individuals and for communities as a whole.
There is also the fiscal side of things to consider. Right now (this changes in 2026), the money our schools receive is tied to attendance. Fear of detention or deportation discourages parents from sending their children to school, which not only disrupts their education but also puts school funding at risk.
Currently, 12% of California students have at least one undocumented parent. These children are part of our community and deserve access to a safe and stable education.
Contact your California Senator or Assembly member and ask for their support for AB 49 and SB 48. President Trump intends to “make good” on his campaign promises. Californians need to step up and do what we can.
Update: On April 7, Immigration enforcement officers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security attempted to enter two Los Angeles Unified School District elementary schools, but were denied entry by school administrators.
This appears to be one of the first confirmed attempts of immigration enforcement seeking to enter schools since a change in federal policy allowing it.
School leaders at LAUSD’s Russell Elementary School and Lillian Street Elementary School checked with their district leadership and legal counsel before turning away the agents.
DHS later said the officers left “without incident” after school leaders refused to share information on the children without a court order or warrant. At the time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintained that the incidents were “wellness checks on children who arrived unaccompanied at the border.” They also stated that they had received permission from the students' guardians.
However, later when school officials contacted the students' guardians, the guardians said that they had not been contacted by the DHS.
According to California's two U.S. senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, who spoke directly with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, the agents falsely told school staff they had permission from the students' families to speak with them,
Later, on April 11, Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs said that, “This had nothing to do with immigration enforcement,” in a statement to K-12 Dive. McLaughlin said the check was to ensure the children “are safe and not being exploited, abused, and sex trafficked.”
Update: as of late Tuesday, January 21, 2015, the Trump administration has, according to Newsweek, " reversed longstanding policies that restricted immigration enforcement at sensitive locations such as schools, churches, and hospitals."
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Pamela Casey Nagler is currently finishing her book, A Century of Disgrace: The Removal, Enslavement, and Massacre of California’s Indigenous People 1769 - 1869.
