LAUSD Superintendent Albert Carvalho during a school board meeting on August 30, 2022.
Credit: Julie Leopo/EdSource
Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto Carvalho confirmed at a press conference Thursday morning that the district denied entry to officials from the Department of Homeland Security seeking information on five students in first through sixth grades.
On Monday morning, officials arrived at two district elementary schools, Lillian Street Elementary School and Russell Elementary School, both located in South Los Angeles. According to Carvalho, Monday’s interactions marked the first effort by federal authorities to enter Los Angeles’s public schools.
He said at the news conference that the visit by federal officials was “a sad day across Los Angeles — not just for our school system, but for our entire community.”
“As a school system, we have a professional responsibility to protect, to educate, to inspire young people,” Carvalho added. “I also have, beyond my professional responsibility, a moral responsibility to protect these students.”
The authorities were dressed casually and only presented identification when asked by the principals of the schools, Carvalho said at the press conference. He also claimed the officials were quick to hide their identification when the principals attempted to write down their information.
According to Carvalho, the agents said they wanted access “to the students to determine their well-being” because they had come to the United States as accompanied minors.
The agents claimed they were authorized by the students’ caretakers to go to the campuses, information the district has since confirmed to be false after they spoke with the students’ caretakers who denied authorizing the agents’ activities, Carvalho said.
“Across the country, different agencies have been deputized and deployed to collaborate with ICE,” Carvalho said Thursday. “So, if a federal agent presents themselves to our schools, regardless of agency, asking for direct access to our students, that is suspect behavior that we’re not going to tolerate.”
He also applauded the schools’ administration and staff for their response — and said that LAUSD staff are trained to handle these kinds of situations, including demanding officials’ credentials as well as any warrants or subpoenas.
If documentation isn’t presented, Carvalho said the officials will be asked to leave, and LAUSD’s operations department, legal department and school board police department are notified.
“We will protect our kids. We will educate our kids. We will inspire our kids. We will not allow abuse, intimidation of our children or our workforce. Schools are places for learning. Schools are places for understanding. Schools are places for instruction. Schools are not places of fear.”
LAUSD’s actions, Carvalho maintained, are in keeping with the law. And in November, Los Angeles Unified affirmed its commitment to being a sanctuary district.
“If I am to represent who I am and what I became in this country, I have to do it in a way that honors the humanity and dignity of those who are currently in the same exact condition decades after I was in that predicament,” Carvalho said. “So, I would put my job on the line in the protection of our students and our workforce.”