By Camelia Heins, correspondent
Elected officers, Pasadena Unified Faculty District leaders and group members gathered to reaffirm assist for immigrant college students and oldsters on the steps of Pasadena Metropolis Corridor on Sunday, Aug. 17, at some point earlier than the primary day of college for the district’s almost 14,000 college students.
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Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo expressed his assist for these in concern of immigration raids. “There’s actually no place within the state of California, or Los Angeles County, for anybody to dwell in concern,” Gordo mentioned. “And I’ll let you know proper now, there may be actually no place for any little one, any father or mother or anybody to dwell in concern within the nice metropolis of Pasadena.”
As PUSD continues to navigate the aftermath of the Eaton hearth, the specter of deportation efforts impacting college students and households looms massive over the district. A collection of immigration raids within the Pasadena space and Los Angeles County have taken place all through the summer time as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to extend deportations.
Stepped-up federal immigration enforcement started in early June all through the county, fueled by President Donald Trump’s pledge to mass deport undocumented immigrants. The Trump administration has hailed the crackdown as successful, pointing to an array of arrests all through the nation of immigrants with critical prison information.
Following by means of on marketing campaign guarantees, Trump has a aim of deporting a million undocumented folks this yr and has mentioned he’s focusing on the “worst of the worst.” Authorities information, nevertheless, reveals most individuals detained by ICE haven’t any prison convictions, which have been condemned by many election officers.
The raids had been halted in July by a federal decide’s order, upheld by an appeals court docket, that restricted the sort of stops federal brokers could make — the sort primarily based solely on obvious race or ethnicity; talking Spanish or English with an accent; presence in a specific location akin to a bus cease, automobile wash, or agricultural web site; or the kind of work an individual does. Homeland Safety officers have repeatedly defended the work of ICE brokers, denying allegations that operations are carried out randomly.
“At Pasadena Unified, our dedication could be very easy,” PUSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco mentioned. “Each little one deserves security, dignity and a real sense of belonging.”
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Blanco acknowledged that there haven’t been any tried raids on any campuses within the district, although “there have been makes an attempt nearer to colleges, which has raised concern.” The district has elevated coaching efforts for employees on the right way to reply within the occasion immigration enforcement exercise takes place on campus and provided a digital studying possibility for households preferring studying at residence.
Present district insurance policies require legislation enforcement to “test in by means of a single entry level” and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will not be allowed on faculty grounds “and not using a lawfully executed court docket order.” PUSD coverage additionally states that info relating to immigration standing will not be collected or shared.
The close by Los Angeles Unified Faculty District introduced a 1,000-person taskforce to deploy employees at key areas close to LAUSD colleges to watch immigration enforcement exercise and help households in emergencies forward of the district’s first day of college.
When requested whether or not PUSD had the same initiative in place, Superintendent Blanco mentioned there wasn’t anybody formally from the varsity district monitoring immigration enforcement exercise, however talked about that members all through the group are doing such work.
Many households within the district are nonetheless reeling from the consequences of the lethal Eaton hearth in January. The fireplace killed no less than 19 folks and destroyed greater than 9,000 buildings. 5 PUSD colleges have been broken.
Greater than 10,000 college students and 1,387 staff lived in evacuation zones, in keeping with the district’s annual report back to the group.
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A district soil-testing initiative discovered almost half of its colleges had elevated ranges of contaminated soil in Could. Eighteen PUSD websites are nonetheless underneath further testing and analysis phases, with six websites present process soil removing and 12 websites with soil removing but to be scheduled.
Superintendent Blanco clarified that “the soil will not be harmful until ingested” and particular areas on affected campuses have been restricted from scholar entry “in an abundance of warning,” she mentioned.
The district launched further trauma-informed employees coaching to help college students coping with psychological well being points after the Eaton hearth and concern of immigration raids.
Mayra Macedo-Nolan, a pastor concerned within the Clergy Group Coalition and a PUSD father or mother, shared her satisfaction with efforts from native elected officers and the district’s improve in employees preparation for immigration enforcement.
“I really like that our leaders are standing and acknowledging that these items are actually terrible as they’re,” Macedo-Nolan mentioned.
“From our pulpits, from our chapels and precise church buildings,” Macedo-Nolan added, “but additionally to the nook of Winchell’s, to the nook of Madison Elementary, to the steps of John Muir Excessive Faculty, we’re additionally going to be current,” she mentioned. “In order that the group is aware of that we’re right here and that we care.”
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