Immigrant students experience more bullying as ICE raids cause ‘culture of fear’, says survey | US immigration

Immigrant students across the United States are facing an increase in harassment, with crackdowns by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) causing lower attendance and a “culture of fear” among immigrant students in public schools, according to a new survey of high school principals.

Researchers from the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access (Idea) at the University of California, Los Angeles, conducted a “nationally representative” survey of more than 600 school principals on the toll of raids and deportations, and the response of schools.

Many principals described a “climate of distress,” according to the report, with 70.4 percent saying students from immigrant families had “expressed concerns about their well-being or that of their families.” A majority of public high schools experienced a decline in attendance and learning among students from immigrant families, the report said, with 57.8 percent of principals reporting that immigrant parents and guardians had “left the community” during the school year.

Some principals said they were “unsure what happened to some of their students from immigrant families,” the report said. And 63.8 percent of principals said students missed school “because of immigrant-related policies or political speech.”

Principals said students were affected by ICE enforcement efforts in their communities, but also by a growing anti-immigration atmosphere among the student body. More than a third of principals said students from immigrant families reported being “bullied or harassed,” with one principal in Minnesota saying, “There has been a marked increase in comments made by white students, white male students, to our Hispanic students: ‘Can I see your papers?’ »

A Nebraska principal described an increase in “the use of hostile and derogatory language” toward Latino students, with taunts such as: “Go home.” A Michigan principal said students said, “Your parents are cross-border workers,” adding that she took disciplinary action against the bullying.

The survey, conducted over the summer, also found that the vast majority of schools were taking steps to meet the needs of their immigrant populations “as best they can,” with 77.6 percent of principals reporting they had “created a school plan to respond to visits from federal agents.” Nearly half of principals said they planned to accommodate students’ needs if their guardians were expelled.

“Principals tell stories of students who have been dropped off at school and fear that this will be the last time they see their parents. It’s devastating,” John Rogers, Idea principal and lead researcher, said in an interview. He said he was struck by the fact that so many school leaders were preparing for this outcome: “It speaks to a normalization of a system in place that creates extraordinary trauma. »

One principal compared the stress of worrying about ICE showing up to the anxiety of fearing mass shooters.

Rogers said he expected to see these concerns in a city like Los Angeles, which has a large immigrant population and is an aggressive target of the federal government. But the investigation found consequences in schools across the country, in a wide range of communities, he said.

“High school principals are held by both professional standards and a moral obligation to ensure that students feel safe, and it is clear that students’ feeling of safety at school is essential to their learning,” Rogers said. “At the same time, they realize that their power is limited…they cannot control what happens outside of school. »

One Massachusetts principal interviewed said, “There is something fundamentally wrong with this situation: We continue to strive to make school a safe place where all students can thrive, but that task has become increasingly difficult. »

In an email Wednesday evening after its publication, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, accused UCLA of “shameful… fear mongering,” saying, “Those who blame ICE for student bullying and poor school attendance are creating a climate of fear and defaming law enforcement.” »

“ICE does not go into schools to make arrests of children,” McLaughlin said. If someone with a criminal record “fled to a school,” she added, “there could be a situation where an arrest would be made to protect public safety.” But that didn’t happen.”