ICE Raids in and Around Schools Brings Trauma and Fear to Kids Returning to School

Washington, DC — Across the country, stepped-up raids and enforcement are reshaping daily life, spreading fear in schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. This mass deportation agenda and the dangerous militarization of American cities are inflicting deep costs on children, families, and the economy.

●     In Washington, DC, the city’s restaurants are reporting business is down “drastically” and new reporting highlights how many of the immigrant workers who drive the DC restaurant industry are fearing going to work. And despite the supposed purpose of deploying troops to DC being public safety, some in DC are feeling “less safe than ever.”

●     Meanwhile, as kids across America return to school, some children in New York City – like Washington and Los Angeles and elsewhere – are dealing with newfound immigration fears, while schools are forced to navigate these new realities.

Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice, said:

“The costs of mass deportation are staggering – on our economy and key American industries; on kids, families and communities who are living in fear or dealing with the trauma of family separation; and on core democratic pillars like due process rights and the way immigration fears are weaponized to justify deploying American troops in American cities. None of it is okay or affecting only immigrants. All of it calls for a better way forward and fighting for a different vision of what America should be.”

See below recent coverage documenting the harms of mass deportation on communities:

●     Washingtonian, “Many DC Restaurant Workers Fear Going to Work Amid Trump’s Immigration Crackdown” noting, “During a recent weekend, immigration agents detained four family members, all employed at the same DC restaurant, as they left their apartment building, says a chef who worked with them. Meanwhile, the same restaurant has dealt with three to seven employees calling out each day over the past couple weeks, as fear has spread over Donald Trump’s federalization of local police and increased immigration enforcement. Two employees have resigned. “They say they were scared, and they’re not going to show up to work,” says the chef … Another restaurant owner … notes that the fear is pervasive even among employees who have legal status. ‘Nobody wants to spend a night in jail while your family struggles to show immigration authorities that you have the paperwork.”

●     NBC News, “Trump vowed to make Washington streets safer. In some areas, people feel less safe than ever” noting, “Immigrants and immigration advocates told NBC News that the federal takeover of the nation’s capital two weeks ago has left vibrant communities and businesses “deserted.” Both naturalized citizens and those who are in the country illegally said there is a palpable sense of fear now. People are afraid to go grocery shopping, show up to work and go about their daily lives, they said.”

●     Gothamist, “NYC’s immigrant families face new source of back-to-school anxiety: Federal agents“noting, “Besides considering what backpacks and notebooks to buy, these parents must necessarily consider some potentially life-altering questions: Can U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents enter local schools? Can schools share information with ICE? And who will care for children whose immigrant parents are unexpectedly detained?”