Federal officials arrived and were denied entry into two l..a. Unified primary schools this week, district officials confirmed on Wednesday, the first reported instance of an attempt by US authorities to enter a public school in Los Angeles amid concerns of immigration application.
On Monday, two people arrived at the main office of the Lillian Street Elementary School and identified themselves as “representatives of a federal agency”, according to a message that school officials sent to parents and others. People also presented themselves at Russell Elementary School. Both schools are located in the neighborhood of Florence-Graham in southern Los Angeles.
On Wednesday, a Lausd spokesman confirmed that people were from the National Security Research Unit within the National Security Department, not agents of the Immigration and Customs application. District officials did not say why people were there or published additional details about the visit.
“After following the protocols of the district, the school administrators denied the entrance to the people and left,” school officials said in the statement to both school communities. “We want to reaffirm the unwavering commitment of the district to the well -being and education of all students.”
A spokesman for the National Security Department could not be contacted immediately to comment.
On Wednesday night, Los Angeles SUPT schools. Alberto Carvalho issued a brief statement on incidents.
“Our schools are places of inspiration, protection, empathy and knowledge,” said Carvalho. “Fear and threat will meet courage and determination.”
“These are the only two schools that reported activities. It seems that our protocols are working,” said a Lausd spokesman in an email to Times, added that the district policy requires maintaining school campuses outside the limits to immigration authorities.
Lausd spokesman said that other schools sent “caution messages” to their school communities that referred to “immigration application activity reports.”
The director of the Rockdale Elementary School, Stefani Williams, sent a message to his community of the Eagle Rock School, saying that “Lausd has informed us that they are aware of the reports of immigration application activity.”
Immigration agents do not have to receive access to a K-12 campus without a court order. The State has prepared guidance to help school districts to comply with state law that limits state and local participation in immigration application activities.
The district has ordered employees to receive training on which assistance or documentation cannot or should not provide federal immigration authorities.
Carvalho, preparing for the application of immigration under the Trump administration, said in January that he was hope that agents could be completely stayed out of the campus.
“What would be the need to enforce any type of legal procedure within the campus that could not be done outside the school? We do not believe it is necessary or appropriate,” he said in January. “We do not expect any federal entity … it must have access to schools to enforce the immigration policy, point.”
The Los Angeles Education Board has approved a series of resolutions that indicate that the Unified will be a sanctuary for immigrants.
