“It was very nerve-wracking having (family members) who are undocumented and having to come to school,” an anonymous student said. “I didn’t know if I was going to be safe or if I was going to be able to keep my own family safe.”
This is one of the many voices of those who feel threatened by the increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on school campuses nationally, a promise of President Donald Trump’s political platform and early executive orders in office.
Within the first week of his presidency, Trump signed at least 10 executive orders and acts to reduce immigration or increase deportation. This includes the executive order Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, signed just hours after his inauguration on Jan. 20, aiming to overturn birthright citizenship—a constitutional provision in place for 150 years that guarantees United States citizenship to anyone born in the country, regardless of their parents’ citizenship status.
Other laws, like the Laken Riley Act, make it easier for deportation authorities like Customs and Border Protection and ICE to deport undocumented immigrants for non-violent crimes. Additionally, he revoked a Homeland Security directive that prevented CBP and ICE from targeting “sensitive” areas such as churches or schools.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense,” Trump’s statement reads.
Due to this change, there has been an increase in ICE raids, with an average of 973 ICE deportees a day during the first week of Trump’s term.
In response to community concerns, the County of Santa Clara took legal action on Jan. 30, filing a federal lawsuit to challenge Trump’s executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship.
The lawsuit, submitted in federal court, argues that the order is both unlawful and unconstitutional. While deemed unconstitutional across the country in numerous federal courts in the following weeks, the executive order still carries a threat, felt across the country and locally for first- and second-generation immigrants and their families.
“My own family is undocumented, and I’m the only U.S. citizen because I was born here,” the anonymous student said. “It’s hard because (I) have to hold that weight of knowing that I have to protect not only myself, but my family, because I don’t know what’s going to happen if ICE does come.”
Bay Area student and educator initiatives
Over 600 students across the Sequoia Union High School District walked out of their classrooms on Feb. 6 in protest of the Trump administration’s promises to carry out mass deportations on families and communities nationally.
This walkout is one among other youth-led awareness efforts as Bay Area students return to school for a new semester—not just to study, but for some, to advocate. Their activism reflects the region’s diverse immigrant population; according to U.S. Census data, Santa Clara County is among the most diverse of California’s 58 counties. More than 60% of children in the county have at least one foreign-born parent—a proportion county officials say is the highest in California and the nation.
In PAUSD, roughly 35 Gunn teachers and staff members came together in January, holding signs on Gunn’s campus—with administration’s support—to reinforce to families their support for their children’s right to attend public school, according to Spanish teacher Daissy Tabares.
“Even if the students don’t know who some of us (staff members) are, they need to know that we are with them, that they belong at Gunn, and that Gunn cares about them,” Tabares said. “Students need to be able to focus on school. They need to feel that school is like a second home. All students need to feel safe, and so if there’s anything that’s not letting them access their education, then we need to do something about it and show support.”
PAUSD protection, organization support and community mental health impacts
Following the Trump administration’s January announcement allowing federal immigration arrests at schools, churches, and hospitals, fear grew among some PAUSD families. This decision ended a 2011 policy that had restricted ICE and CBP from carrying out immigration enforcement in sensitive locations.
“I think one of the most important parts for me was receiving phone calls from families who were afraid to come to school,” said an anonymous staff member. “Some teachers also shared that some students didn’t know what to do and were really scared, especially in potential situations where their parents might have to leave and they didn’t know where they would stay. There’s an (attention) to safety and mental health.”
As many migrant families, including those legally residing in the U.S., reconsider their public presence, PAUSD reaffirmed its commitment to protecting families from fear of immigration enforcement. This was emphasized in the PAUSD’s Obligations to Protect Student & Family Rights to Access Public Education slideshow presented at the Feb. 11 Board meeting.
Per the document and Superintendent Dr. Don Austin’s update on Feb. 7, PAUSD’s policies remain in accordance with 2018 policies and District Board Policy 5145.3. The district will not disclose confidential student information without parental or guardian consent, in line with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
“The bottom line is that we already have strong policies in place,” Austin wrote in the update. “We are on the same page, and our students are protected.”
A common concern among students and families was that because Gunn is an open campus, ICE would have free access at any time. However, student rights and protection were also reasserted during an online Town Hall meeting on Feb. 20, in which staff guided families through potential scenarios and provided information on how to navigate them, according to the anonymous staff member.
Schools and colleges designated by the Department of Homeland Security are protected areas where immigration enforcement should be avoided as much as possible, according to EdSource, an education-focused journalism organization.
A bill introduced in California in December 2024 aims to create a one-mile “safe zone” around schools, barring them from allowing ICE on campus or sharing information without a judicial warrant. Under DHS guidelines, school staff are not obligated to grant ICE access, conduct searches, or disclose student or family details without a warrant.
“Police officers won’t be coming on campus, and ICE won’t be coming either,” the anonymous staff member said. “If they do, we simply inform our staff and principals, and they’ll handle the situation. Essentially, it’s pretty much still kind of a closed campus for these situations.”
Organizations like Palo Alto’s Parent Teacher Association Council are coordinating efforts with volunteers, outreach teams, and board members, including Yolanda Conway, the Assistant Superintendent of Equity & Student Affairs, according to PTAC President Sarah Cornwell.
For PTAC Parliamentarian and Gunn parent Nallely Gomez, the open communication and guidance from the district have made a noticeable difference in helping families feel more secure.
“We do have a channel of communication with some of the families that are affected,” she said. “Right now, people feel more confident about the support they have from the administration and teachers.”
This message of rallying community support was echoed by Tabares, emphasizing the relevance for all students.
“In general, all the kids, regardless of where they come from, could feel it too because, yes, certain marginalized groups may feel more targeted than others, but if you have compassion, if you have empathy, whatever is going on in the world is affecting you,” she said. “Gunn is made up of students who care, so it affects Gunn. Whatever is going on in the world affects you.”
According to the anonymous student, community strength is more important than ever in surviving deportation threats.
“Different parts of communities that are undocumented should not be ashamed of who they are,” they said. “They shouldn’t be afraid, not only because of who has been elected, but I think that no matter what, whatever happens, even if ICE or any part of a movement of deportation comes, we should all stick together (and) protect each other.”
