Los Angeles Unified School District leaders on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to protecting immigrant families amidst the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown.
School officials in the nation’s second-largest school district this week relaunched the “We Are One” campaign and began distributing “red cards”, both of which were designed to educate and help immigrant families assert their rights during encounters with federal immigration authorities.
Speaking at Tuesday’s board meeting, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district system is grounded in the values of protection and representation. Its mission, he said, is “to do the right thing” by protecting the rights of its students and employees, regardless of their immigration status.
“I want to be absolutely certain that everyone hears us loudly and clearly,” he said. “Our schools are protected ground, period. This board and this administration shall not waiver from our commitment, regardless of threat, insinuation, indictment or accusation.”
Carvalho’s comments and LAUSD’s initiatives come on the heels of President Trump’s Jan. 21 executive order that authorizes Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to make arrests in sensitive areas like schools and churches, undoing a 2011 policy that banned such actions.
The LAUSD school board reaffirmed itself as a “sanctuary district” for immigrants shortly after Trump was elected president in November. Carvalho, who is an immigrant, emphasized this history in his speech, framing the district’s actions as both a legal and moral obligation.
“We have no choice but to do the right thing, and that right thing is actually protected by law,” he said. “It’s protected by our policy. It’s protected by state law. It is protected by the Constitution of the United States of America under its Equal Protection Clause.”
Maria Nichols, president of Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, said, “This is one thing that I want to acknowledge that LAUSD is doing right, and I want to thank you for that, As an immigrant child myself, I know what it’s like to feel fear, to not know that your parent is going to be showing up, and coming home because I was that immigrant child whose mother was illegal for eight years.”
LAUSD officials said the executive order is already having noticeable effects on campuses.
“We are hearing anecdotes, cases by case, reports by principals, conversations, concerns that are articulated by community members and family members,” Carvalho said. He said LAUSD is keeping a record “to the extent that we can, of the trends.”
LAUSD Board member Scott Schmerelson cited the concerns of some LAUSD employees regarding their immigration status.
“We have some employees that are not citizens, and they may need assistance in getting their immigration status and proof of employment taken care of,” Schmerelson said. “And some of them have mentioned that they’re kind of afraid to go ahead.”
The relaunched “We Are One” campaign builds on a similar initiative LAUSD introduced in 2016 as a resource hub for its families — and to educate both non-immigrant and immigrant families about their constitutional rights.
The updated version provides more resources and information tailored to address challenges faced by LAUSD’s communities including immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and African American families, officials said. For example, it includes a step-by-step family preparedness plan to help immigrant families navigate emergencies.
As part of the campaign, LAUSD is distributing “red cards,” also known as “know your rights” cards, created by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC).
The cards provide advice such as, “do not open the door if an immigrant agent is knocking” and “do not answer any questions from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.”
This week, school officials began distributing the red cards to students and staff returning for the spring semester. The cards are available in 16 languages including English, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, and Chinese. They can be downloaded from the “We Are One” campaign website.
Miriam Mesa, education and outreach programs director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), also praised the campaign in a statement to this publication.
“Schools are our children’s second home and we all expect these facilities to be safe harbors for learning and growth. We also expect immigration officials and DHS to respect the sanctity of sensitive spaces such as schools,” Mesa said.
“That’s why we applaud the LAUSD and will work hand in hand with them to further our mission to protect and educate the youth of today while also sending a strong message that families should remain together and free from fear and persecution by immigration enforcement officers,” she said.