With tensions running high over immigration raids across L.A. this summer, many in the community were left shaken by the incident Thursday, including students.<\/p>\n
‘Who knows, ICE could come out and everything’<\/p>\n
At Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School in Boyle Heights, some students said their first day back was clouded by anxiety.<\/p>\n
Andres Rocha, a junior at Mendez High, said he saw reports of immigration activity on the Citizen app. Moments later, his phone was confiscated \u2014 part of LAUSD\u2019s phone ban policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be honest, ever since the raids began happening, I feel like I\u2019ve been a bit worried for my classmates,\u201d said Rocha, while waiting for his parents to pick him up after school. \u201cWho knows, ICE could come out and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rocha said some of his teachers acknowledged the raids and vowed to protect students. They said they\u2019d \u201cdo everything in their power to not let [ICE agents] enter the school,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Freshman Lupe Nu\u00f1o and her friends were getting ready to board the Metro E line after school on their way to Little Tokyo. The group was a bit nervous when it heard ICE was just down the street. But still, they were set on having fun after their first day of high school.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going just to chill,\u201d Nu\u00f1o said, \u201cafter our first day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Educators show support amid fear<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/scpr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/0f0affe\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1191x891+0+0\/resize\/792x593!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F60%2F8c%2F3ff35ae148f5856dfc336cc0e5fc%2Fmendez-teachers.jpg\")
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Mendez teachers show support for immigrant students Thursday.<\/p>\n
(<\/p>\n
Courtesy Emily Grijalva<\/p>\n
)<\/p>\n
Earlier on Thursday, educators at Mendez High and Lorena Street Elementary staged a show of support<\/a> for the first day of school. They held signs that read, \u201cTodos son bienvenidos aqu\u00ed,\u201d and, \u201cTrucha con ICE,\u201d as families dropped off their children.<\/p>\n For parent Alicia Uvera, whose daughter goes to Lorena Elementary, the show of support gave her a sense of security.<\/p>\n \u201cThe teachers and staff are here for the community and supporting the parents, ensuring their children come to school without being scared,\u201d Uvera said.<\/p>\n The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, which manages 20 schools, including Mendez High in Boyle Heights, said the moment underscored the high stakes for families.<\/p>\n \u201cThe act of going to school should be about children growing, learning, and feeling safe \u2014 not about heightened fear or trauma,\u201d said Cadonna Dory, a spokesperson for the group.<\/p>\n Officials offer reassurances and resources<\/p>\n At a press conference later in the day, L.A. schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said, \u201cNo impact was seen or felt by these schools as a result of these federal actions in the neighborhood.\u201d Still, he acknowledged the fear it could trigger.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope people hear hope that our school system has protected its community of learners and that we are safe spaces, are a welcoming district, and that every parent should feel safe in bringing their children to school,\u201d Carvalho said.<\/p>\n LAUSD has been working to reassure parents that students remain protected\u00a0<\/a>on campus. In response to growing concerns, the district recently released a Family Preparedness Care Package<\/a> that provides information for\u00a0free legal resources and guides<\/a> and also is offering new transportation options. Community groups like Uni\u00f3n del Barrio and the Association of Raza Educators also have launched a\u00a0series of trainings<\/a> on how to protect students, faculty, staff, and families<\/a> from immigration enforcement actions.<\/p>\n