SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — As students head back to school, some San Diego educators are preparing not just for lesson plans, but for how to protect their students and families from possible immigration enforcement.
Local groups, including the Association of Raza Educators and Union del Barrio, are hosting a training workshop aimed at equipping teachers with tools to support undocumented students and their families in case of immigration raids on or near school campuses.
“The students are fearing coming back to school, it’s been a challenge for many,” said high school teacher Marysol Duran, who is leading the training Tuesday night.
The workshop is part of a broader effort to ensure schools are a safe haven amid rising concerns of potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity near campuses.
ICE has repeatedly said they are not going onto school campuses. Still, the Trump administration has been clear on their stance, insisting anyone in the country illegally, criminal record or not, will be arrested.
The workshop will cover topics including knowing their rights when it comes to immigration enforcement, empowering teachers with tools to organize and push their districts to do more to protect students and their families, as well as encouraging educators to get involved in community patrols.
Union del Barrio has been involved in community patrols for decades, monitoring neighborhoods and alerting the community when they see or suspect they see immigration agents. Now, they are encouraging teachers to get involved and advocate from within the school system.
“It is their right to not feel persecuted or terrorized on their way to school or back to school or to have the doubt and fear that their parents won't be at home when they come back," said Duran.
Information about the workshops can be found on Union Del Barrio or the Association of Raza Educators websites.
