Distress at schools over ICE

Principals in the state and across U.S. report increased absences, bullying since the raids began

- BY IRIS KWOK AND HOWARD BLUME

High school principals across California and nationwide say raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have provoked a “climate of distress” among immigrant students who have been bullied on campus and whose attendance has dropped, according to a study released Tuesday.

Seventy percent of public high school principals surveyed said students from immigrant families expressed fears for themselves or their families because of ICE crackdowns or political rhetoric related to immigrants, according to the report by researchers at UCLA and UC Riverside.

The findings echo the narrative of what schools and districts have reported across Southern California since President Trump took office in January and began aggressive immigration raids.

One California principal told researchers she has seen staff members “breaking down in tears about a student.”

“It just doesn't feel very American,” she added.

John Rogers, a UCLA education professor who co-wrote the report, said it was “striking” that principals “across every region in the country spoke of fear and concern in their school communities related to immigration enforcement.”

The researchers surveyed 606 public high school principals from May to August to understand how schools have been affected by Trump's immigration enforcement. More than 1 in 3 principals, about 36%, said students from immigrant families have been bullied, and 64% said their attendance has dropped.

A drop in attendance has been verified by other researchers who collected data from California's Central Valley and the Northeastern states. There's also been a decline in K-12 enrollment that appears to number in at least the tens of thousands, affecting cities including Los Angeles, San Diego and Miami, based on figures provided by school district officials.