SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Teachers and parents are working together to help families feel safe after recent immigration enforcement actions near San Diego schools.
Community members in San Diego are taking action after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained parents near local schools in recent weeks.
The most recent incident occurred last Thursday when ICE arrested a parent near Linda Vista Elementary for allegedly falsifying his Social Security number.
Video shows ICE agents removing the man from his car while he was waiting to pick up his child. The San Diego Unified School District had to contact his wife to come and pick up the child.
As fear grows in the community following these arrests, a coalition of teachers and community members began patrolling school areas.
At Lincoln High School on Tuesday, about a dozen volunteers gathered before classes started. The group included teachers from Lincoln High and other campuses, along with parents.
I watched as volunteers handed out flyers to help identify ICE agents and circled the block to check for immigration enforcement presence nearby.
"We've been successful in identifying them, kicking them out several times. We feel pretty successful in informing the community on what to look out for," said Benjamin Prado, a community patrol volunteer.
The coalition was trained over the summer by the non-profit Union del Barrio on how to respond to ICE agents near schools. The organization has conducted similar patrols for years.
Hugo Verra, who recently joined the community patrol coalition, expressed some apprehension about his new role.
"It's obviously nervousness. I think it's even more imperative that families, students feel safe to travel from home to school," Verra said.
As parents dropped off their children at Lincoln High, volunteers distributed flyers explaining what ICE agents might look like and what to do if they're spotted.
Erendira Ramirez from Union del Barrio emphasized the importance of their presence.
"We're here today to let students know that there are people who care and maestros who care about student safety," Ramirez said.
The effort has been welcomed by some parents, including Jenny Bello.
"This feels good, God bless them," Bello said.
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ABC 10News received a statement later on August 20th from Patrick Divver, Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations San Diego:
“ICE San Diego has not conducted enforcement on school grounds. Suggesting otherwise spreads unnecessary fear.
We agree that children must be protected at all costs, and our work reflects that. As shown on our X page, ICE San Diego has removed many child predators, murderers, and violent criminals from the community we protect and will continue targeting the worst of the worst.
This “teacher patrol” is unnecessary and could unintentionally disrupt law enforcement operations. Our mission remains clear-cut: to protect children, families, and communities in accordance with the law.
Additionally, let me be crystal clear, anyone who obstructs, interferes with, or assaults a federal law enforcement officer during the course of their duties will face arrest and presentation for criminal prosecution as appropriate.”
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Teachers organize patrols near schools as ICE arrests leave immigrant families fearful
- Expert weighs potential psychological impacts of ICE detainment near Linda Vista school
- SD Unified officials react to ICE statement on parent detainment
- ICE addresses arrest of parent near local elementary school
- VIDEO: Man detained by ICE while picking up his child from Linda Vista Elementary
