After being confronted by “community patrols,” two unmarked cars driven by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement personnel departed the Herbert Ibarra Elementary School parking area on Friday. However, ICE authorities deny the agency was on school property.
In a statement to student families, Valerie Jurado, the principal of the school, said that the assumption caused anxiety but claimed she was not aware of any connection between the vehicles and any government organizations.
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“We understand how unsettling this report is and we stand with our community in our desire for ALL our students to be in a safe learning environment,” Jurado stated. “Our staff and teachers are always there to help our pupils and make sure they have a peaceful and educational day.
“In uncertain times like these, we urge our parents and communities to look out for and support one another. All families should feel welcome in school communities, which should be hallowed places where every student deserves to get a top-notch education.
Jurado reminded parents that without a signed warrant, ICE officials could not enter the campus. Regardless of immigration status, the San Diego Unified School District has a special portal at www.sdusdequity.com/protecting-students that explains rights.
“At this time, there is no indication of any enforcement activity on our campus, and all students and staff are safe,” Jurado stated.
The cars in the video were driven by ICE officers, but they weren’t there for any operations at the school, according to Patrick Divver, field officer director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in San Diego.
“ICE never carried out any enforcement actions on school property, and no officer ever got out of their car while briefly in the parking lot. “Any indication to the contrary is wholly untrue,” he told City News Service. “Activists started harassing ICE San Diego officers while they were carrying out a targeted enforcement operation in the City Heights neighborhood. The police consequently pulled into the first parking lot that became available.
“Activists who meddle in law enforcement operations put our officers, the community, and themselves at needless risk. These behaviors make it more difficult for us to get rid of those who harm public safety and spread false information that puts everyone at risk.”
A news conference condemning ICE actions at schools was scheduled for 4 p.m. outside the school by members of the San Diego Self-Defense Coalition, Union del Barrio, and Association of Raza Educators, who responded to reports of the vehicles at 6:40 a.m. on Friday, shouting warnings to members of the surrounding communities about an immigration action.
The activist groups issued a united statement saying, “Immigration and Customs Enforcement has consistently stated that they are not carrying out immigration enforcement actions on school properties, and today’s actions contradict their statements.” “We condemn the campaign of terror that has been unleashed in migrant working-class communities and the targeting of families with school aged children in and around school facilities.”
On his way to work earlier this week, ICE detained a guy in the vicinity of Encinitas’ Park Dale Lane Elementary School.
Officials from the Encinitas Union School District verified that the man’s daughter attends the school.
“We are alarmed and disturbed by this event and its impact on children and families,” the district wrote in a letter to affected families.
In a statement given to KPBS Wednesday evening, the immigration authorities confirmed the arrest and stated that the individual was from Guatemala and lacked documentation. According to ICE’s statement, the woman and child in the video arrived at the scene as the arrest was being made, and the guy was the only person in the car when he was pulled over.
The statement said, “ICE San Diego finds it unfortunate that an individual chose to insert a child into an active law enforcement situation,” before denouncing public authorities for saying things like “before the facts of this case were fully known.”
ICE officers detained a parent at Enrique S. Camarena Elementary School in Chula Vista earlier this month as they were there for the morning drop-off. Federal agents were seen approaching a car on the street in cell phone footage that witnesses took and uploaded online.
A woman who had been deported in absentia by an immigration judge in San Diego in 2022 was arrested, according to Divver’s statement.
“ICE’s continued enforcement actions included the arrest, which was handled quickly, safely, and off school property. Students, employees, and the school grounds were unaffected by the incident, which did not involve the school,” Divver stated.
Following the arrest, Eduardo Reyes, the superintendent of Chula Vista Elementary School District, wrote to staff and families to let them know that procedures were in place to prevent illegal entry into schools and to restrict the interaction of law enforcement officers with students unless there was an active emergency or a warrant.
“We understand this may cause concern, and we want to reassure you that our schools remain safe spaces for all students,” Reyes wrote in a letter.
According to Reyes, families should make a plan for how the district will look after their kids “in the event that you are unable to pick them up or drop them off due to unforeseen circumstances.”
He stated, “The Chula Vista Elementary School District is committed to serving every student, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.”
