California Teachers Volunteer to Patrol Schools for ICE Activity Near Campuses

(SAN DIEGO COUNTY) California teachers and community advocates are running volunteer patrols around schools after a string of ICE arrests near campuses in August 2025, with the effort most active in San Diego County and Los Angeles. Organizers say the patrols respond to growing fear among immigrant families after several parents were detained during drop-off and pick-up. District leaders have condemned arrests near schools, while federal officials state they are not targeting school grounds.

Recent incidents and local responses

In San Diego County, two arrests near Linda Vista and Camarena Elementary Schools on August 14–15, 2025 triggered immediate backlash and teacher-led patrols. San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Fabiola Bagula said, “Our schools and our neighborhoods that surround them should be off limits to enforcement actions like this.”

Advocacy groups, including Unión del Barrio and the Association of Raza Educators, trained about 100 teachers over the summer to:

• Watch for immigration enforcement activity
• Document what they see
• Alert rapid response teams

Organizers emphasize volunteers are instructed not to confront agents.

Los Angeles is seeing a similar push. As the 2025–2026 school year began on August 14, the Los Angeles Unified School District launched a three-part safety plan at more than 100 high-risk schools with large Latino student populations. The plan includes:

• District watch zones around campuses
• Teacher union observer teams of 5–7 faculty per school
• Community rapid response groups ready to support families

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said online enrollment is up 7% over last year as some families consider staying home due to fear of encounters with immigration officers. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the shift to online learning among worried families has accelerated since the start of the school term.

Teachers volunteering in these patrols say the goal is simple: make sure families know what’s happening outside school gates and help them avoid panic. Several parents were detained during school runs earlier this month, and some children were left waiting for rides that never came. Educators describe students arriving anxious, asking if mom or dad will be there at dismissal. The tension has contributed to absenteeism and requests for distance learning.

Policy background and legal considerations

Federal policy lies at the center of this conflict. The Biden-era rule that limited immigration arrests at “sensitive locations” — such as schools, churches, and hospitals — was rescinded by the Trump administration in early 2025. Since then, districts and advocates say enforcement has increased around schools.

• ICE and the Department of Homeland Security state agents are not targeting schools, but they also confirm there is no blanket prohibition around campuses under current federal policy.
• For official information about federal enforcement operations, consult ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations page: https://www.ice.gov/ero.

Local rules have shifted as well. In January 2025, the San Diego Unified School District passed a resolution blocking staff from assisting ICE or allowing access to school facilities without a warrant. District officials say this policy protects student privacy and clarifies that federal agents must present proper authorization before entering school buildings.

Educators and legal advocates emphasize:

• Observing and recording public events is generally lawful
• Physically interfering with federal agents can lead to arrest

That’s why volunteer trainings stress documentation and rapid alerts — not confrontation.

Teacher unions and community partners in Los Angeles, including United Teachers Los Angeles, are coordinating with LAUSD to manage observer rosters and report suspected enforcement activity quickly. While support groups remain on standby to assist families, organizers repeat a uniform rule during trainings:

• Do not block vehicles
• Do not touch agents
• Do not chase anyone

The focus is on safety, facts, and immediate communication with families and legal teams.

How patrols operate and what families can do

Patrols are scheduled during high-traffic windows — the first hour before school and the last hour of the day. Volunteers position themselves on sidewalks or drive loops around nearby streets to watch for marked or unmarked vehicles associated with enforcement.

Typical volunteer activities include:

• Distributing “know-your-rights” sheets in English and Spanish
• Practicing short video recordings and noting license plates
• Filing quick written reports for the rapid response network
• Passing information immediately to legal and family support teams

Families are encouraged to:

• Keep school emergency contacts current
• Share a back-up pick-up plan with the front office
• Use community resources to create care plans so children are not stranded if a parent is detained

Districts and nonprofits are coordinating additional support:

• Resource hubs for immigrant students
• Mental health services for affected children
• Standby support teams to assist families as needed

If you see possible enforcement activity near a campus or need help:
– San Diego Rapid Response Network: 619-536-0823
– LAUSD Family Hotline: 213-241-3840

Organizers say patrols will continue as long as arrests near school zones persist. Advocacy groups are also pushing for new state-level protections to restore limits on immigration enforcement around schools. As of August 2025, no new legislation has passed, but outreach to lawmakers is ongoing and school districts say they are reviewing protocols as the year unfolds.

Community impact and broader context

California teachers driving these patrols describe a cycle of fear that hits classrooms fast:

• Younger students ask basic safety questions
• Older students worry about siblings and caregivers
• Educators spend more time calming kids and less on lessons

Teacher leaders argue the lack of a sensitive-locations policy leaves too much uncertainty at the school gate. ICE officials counter that they follow the law and do not single out schools, but distrust runs high after the August arrests. Many families now treat blocks around campuses as potential risk areas.

The broader history matters: “sensitive locations” guidance took shape during the Obama years and was expanded under President Biden, before being revoked under President Trump in 2025. Community patrols are not new in California, but advocates say the current scale is different — more schools involved, more teacher volunteers, and more reliance on rapid alerts.

VisaVerge.com reports parents now swap real-time texts about unmarked vans the same way they track traffic or weather; the aim is to make one of the most ordinary routines — the school run — feel safe again.

District officials in San Diego County and Los Angeles caution they cannot stop federal operations on public streets. What they can do is:

• Keep agents out of buildings without a court order
• Set clear staff rules around interacting with enforcement
• Offer support when a family is disrupted

Counselors have flagged increased student stress, especially among kids who saw a parent detained. Principals say they are bracing for more days when a child needs a trusted adult to sit with them until a relative arrives.

For now, the daily plan remains steady: teachers clock in, then some step back outside to watch the block. Volunteers log plate numbers, pass along photos to response teams, and hand parents a short flyer. The steps are simple by design — the stakes, they say, are not.