ICE Raids Threaten the Quality of Education For Students
With the alarming increase of ICE raids under the Trump Administration, there is a widespread anxiety among undocumented parents about stepping out of their homes. Some parents have gone so far as to not to take their children to school because of the risk of being deported, leading to an increase in student absences. This past winter in California’s Central Valley, parents have increasingly kept their children out of school to avoid the ICE raids. With even more ICE raids occurring at this current moment, the fear causing folks to retreat into their homes is even greater.
These raids not only separate families, but also threaten the quality of education for California children. Public schools across the state are funded according to school attendance, which puts funding at risk when students are out of school due to fear of ICE. Not only are children missing out on vital lessons in person by opting to do school online, but these struggling schools will only become even more underfunded. Our children deserve quality education, not separation!
Photograph by Mark Abramson
By Dana Goldstein & Irene Casado Sanchez | New York Times | June 16, 2025