L.A. School Year Opens Amid Watch for ICE and Student Support Efforts

(LOS ANGELES) The Los Angeles Unified School District opened the 2025–26 school year on August 14, 2025, under tight community watch and new safety routines, following reports of stepped-up immigration enforcement near schools and a headline-making detention outside Arleta High School. District leaders, city and county officials, and community groups rolled out layered measures aimed at keeping children in class and families informed, as concerns rose over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity around campuses.

In the most visible incident, masked Border Patrol agents on August 11 detained a 15-year-old student with disabilities outside Arleta High School in a case later deemed mistaken identity. The encounter sent shockwaves through school communities and pushed officials to expand patrols and refine rapid alerts to parents.

Local officials say the district’s response reflects a changed federal posture. Under President Trump, the administration ended prior policies that limited operations at “sensitive locations” like schools and churches, with aides signaling no place is out of bounds as part of a push for up to one million deportations per year. That shift has forced schools to plan for scenarios that were rare in earlier years.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho pledged a firm line: “We will protect every parent, every child, every workforce member,” adding, “We are standing on the right side of the Constitution, and years from now, I guarantee you, we will have stood on the right side of history.” Mayor Karen Bass called the moment historic and emphasized the united stance of local leaders to protect children from federal overreach.

Safety Measures Around Campuses

LAUSD expanded its “safe passage” program from 40 to at least 100 schools, focusing on neighborhoods where older students often walk to school. Hundreds of district employees, volunteers, school police, and municipal officers are staging visible patrols before and after classes to deter intimidation and create a fast communication network if agents appear nearby.

• Former LA school police chief Steven Zipperman leads a joint workgroup coordinating these efforts.
• Local police have an explicit policy: do not assist with immigration enforcement.
• More than 1,000 teachers have trained as observers—sometimes called “teacher patrols”—in partnership with community groups such as Unión del Barrio.
  • Their role is to watch, verify, and report suspected ICE or Border Patrol presence to a central hub.
  • They do not intervene directly.

Community organizations stand ready to offer support or, if necessary, peaceful obstruction, while remaining mindful of safety and school operations.

The district has implemented several operational and legal measures:

• Rapid alerts via email and text to warn families of enforcement activity near a campus.
• The ability for schools to trigger a lockdown and limit entry if a credible report comes in.
• Adjusted transportation routes and special bus accommodations available upon parent request.
• Circulation of Know Your Rights pamphlets and “red cards” with basic scripts for interactions with immigration officers.
• Crisis counseling teams available to walk with students to and from school or make home visits.
• Relaunch of the immigrant resource website with updates and contacts for principals and counselors at lausd.org.

District policy is explicit and strict:

K–12 campuses, school buses, and school events are off-limits to immigration agents unless they present a valid judicial warrant for a named individual. Administrative ICE paperwork does not grant access to school grounds. Staff have been briefed to verify any warrant and to contact district legal and law enforcement leaders before allowing entry.

Policy Shift and Community Response

The stakes are high: LAUSD counts about 540,000 students this year. Online enrollment is up roughly 7% from last year, a figure some educators say could reflect parents’ fear of in-person attendance near areas where agents have been spotted. The district is pushing to keep children in classrooms while reducing risk and stress for mixed-status families.

Protests and student walkouts have spread across parts of the city. Demands from students and advocates include:

• More Dream Centers on campuses
• Expanded Know Your Rights workshops
• Clear step-by-step protocols for any ICE encounters
• Faster transparency and expanded mental health support

County Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Holly Mitchell backed the safe passage expansion and promised to keep schools free from fear. Community organizations press for stronger action, including more hands-on accompaniment for families during pick-up and drop-off and clearer ways to challenge questioning by agents off campus.

On the legal front, advocates are exploring pathways to restore earlier protections and to set new limits on operations near classrooms and school events — a dispute unlikely to fade soon given the reversal under the current federal administration.

On-the-Ground Playbook

The district’s immediate response protocols prioritize calm, speed, and documentation:

1. Trained observers alert a central network when ICE or Border Patrol is seen near a school.
2. School leaders may:
   • Lock down campuses
   • Pause dismissal
   • Send messages to families
3. Legal and counseling teams mobilize to assist affected students.
4. Local police monitor the situation but do not assist federal immigration actions unless a direct safety threat emerges.

Parents are urged to:

• Stay in touch with principals and counselors about transportation and short-term virtual learning options.
• Request legal resources or escorted walks if needed.
• Pick up Know Your Rights materials distributed by the district.
• Attend campus workshops hosted with community partners.

The message from school officials is steady: keep children in school, keep records handy, and report concerning activity right away.

Practical Morning Routine Changes

Practical steps have become part of many families’ and staff routines:

• Staff keep phones ready for alerts.
• Parents share carpool plans to avoid certain intersections.
• Teens trade tips on what to do if questioned.
• Teachers review scripts and phone trees.

The goal, as district leaders put it, is to protect learning time without turning campuses into conflict zones.

Resources and Next Steps

• The district expects continued vigilance in the coming weeks and may add more campuses to safe passage zones based on real-time reports.
• More teachers will be trained as observers, and student groups plan additional forums and workshops for stronger sanctuary policies and faster communication.

For broader national policy context, readers can consult analysis by VisaVerge.com, which tracks changes in immigration enforcement and the impact on local communities.

What to Do If Agents Are Reported Near Your Child’s School

• Report immediately. Teachers, volunteers, or community observers should alert the school’s central contact or hotline.
• Follow school directions. If a lockdown is announced, wait for official messages before coming to campus.
• Use district resources. Ask for crisis counseling, legal referrals, or escorted walks if your family needs them.
• Keep documents private. Students and parents are not required to share immigration status with school staff.
• Stay informed. Confirm bus changes and any pick-up adjustments with your school’s office.

The Arleta High School episode remains a rallying point, shaping how families talk about first-day jitters and how school leaders think about trust. For many parents, the question is simple: Will my child be safe on the way to class? LAUSD says yes—and it is building a system to make that promise as real as possible.