Immigration raids impact: Attendance dropped, bullying increased in high schools, study finds
The recent immigration raids have impacted student well-being, enrollment and attendance, while bullying has increased, according to high school principals across the nation surveyed in a recent study released Tuesday.
The UCLA/ UC Riverside study found that among an array of challenges principals said impacted their schools, the impact of immigration enforcement was the issue that drew the most attention.
Out of the more than 600 high school principals surveyed, nearly 40% said students from immigrant families have been bullied.
According to the study, some principals reasoned that such bullying directed at students from immigrant families emerges from a political climate that has normalized attacks on immigrant communities.
A strong majority, nearly 64%, of principals reported that their high school experienced declines in attendance of students from immigrant families. The study showed that students missed school due to policies or political rhetoric related to immigrants.
The findings mirror what the Los Angeles Unified School District reported a few days ago, a significant drop in enrollment pointing to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
"These declines reflect a climate of fear and instability created by ongoing immigration crackdowns, which disrupt family stability, housing, and mobility," said LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho in a statement. "These fears are now exacerbating pre-existing factors that were already driving statewide enrollment declines."
The study also found that more than 70% of principals surveyed reported that students from immigrant families expressed fear for themselves or their families because of ICE crackdowns.
Many principals described a "climate of distress" within their communities and frequently spoke about the fear and anxiety many of their students are experiencing.
Amid the fear and anxiety the immigration crackdown has caused on school families, more than 77% of principals said their high schools have created a plan to respond to visits from federal agents.
In Los Angeles, Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said that the district prepared a family preparedness packet to be distributed across the entire school district for students to take home.
The packet includes know-your-rights information, the contact number for the district's compassion fund, emergency contact updates and a way to provide information about the student in the event they have to go into the care of someone else, Carvalho said.
Carvalho also confirmed the creation of a safe passage for students, which will see the addition of more bus routes.
