Los Angeles Teachers Patrol Schools to Protect Students from ICE Activity

Elementary teachers Ingrid Villeda and Olga conduct community patrols in Los Angeles neighborhoods one hour before classes begin.

These patrols monitor the surroundings of hundreds of schools to detect potential U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. The educators aim to prevent students and parents from being detained by immigration officers. They have not missed a single day of these patrols since last school year. The teachers are part of a larger network of school staff, activists, and community members in Los Angeles engaged in similar work.

They place magnets on their vehicle stating, "Protecting communities from ICE terror and kidnappings." Olga reports that ICE has previously picked up individuals a few blocks from their patrol area. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), which serves over 370,000 students, with approximately 70% being Hispanic, has a contentious history with ICE. The Trump administration intensified its plan of mass arrests and deportations last summer, making the threat of detention constant. Olga notes that parents are afraid to go out, and the patrols provide warnings to the community.