A recent study by UCLA and UC Riverside highlights a “climate of distress” in U.S. public high schools due to immigration enforcement.
According to the study, released Tuesday, seventy percent of principals reported that students from immigrant families expressed fear for themselves or their families due to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions and related political rhetoric. This fear has led to increased bullying and decreased attendance among these students.
The study, which surveyed 606 public high school principals from May to August, found that more than one in three principals observed bullying of immigrant students, and 64% reported a drop in attendance. In Los Angeles, schools have responded by providing home-to-school transportation and expanded support for immigrant students, as noted by the Los Angeles Times.
The impact of ICE raids has been felt nationwide, with schools in Minnesota, Nebraska, and Michigan also reporting increased use of hostile language towards immigrant students. The K-12 Dive report highlights that schools have developed plans to respond to ICE visits, with nearly half having contingency plans for when a student’s parents are deported.
The UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute emphasizes the negative impact of immigration enforcement on educational equity, noting that students often struggle with fear and uncertainty, which affects their attendance and engagement.
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