During the last few months, President Donald Trump initiated a record amount of deportations, with round-ups of people piloted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These round-ups have led to increased fear and tension in and around the Claremont community. As of now, there has not been an ICE raid on a public school campus in California, and it is not probable that one will happen, given the challenges of obtaining the necessary permissions to access the campus. What would happen if an ICE raid occurred on campus, and what should students be aware of if a raid does occur?
In an interview with Jim Elsasser, Superintendent of Schools, Elsasser commented on the process. “[It is a] highly unlikely event that [an ICE raid occurring on campus] would happen,” Elsasser said. Nonetheless, Claremont Unified School District has been planning for the possibility of an ICE raid near campus or the improbable occurrence of one happening on campus.
Kevin Ward, Assistant Superintendent, detailed the procedure. “We have a pretty advanced and well-practiced, well-trained response should federal agents be on any of our campuses,” Ward said. He continued to explain that even in the event of an ICE raid on campus, CUSD is prepared and aware of what an immigration officer needs to come onto campus. “In order for an immigration officer to come on campus, they need to have a couple of documents allowing them to come on campus,” Ward said. This includes a court order, a judicial subpoena, or other valid reason.
While the idea of an ICE raid is alarming, both students and teachers should be aware of their rights, one of the most important ones being the right to the Confidentiality of Personal Information.
“The school district does not collect or hold immigration status information,” Ward said. ”Your ability to come to school here is simply based on your residency, not your [immigration] status. […] Your name is our highest level of confidentiality; we do not disclose that with anybody.”
CUSD is dedicated to protecting student information. For additional resources on ICE raids, visit the Claremont Unified School District website.
