By: Journalist of World Eve Wanner (G9)
Five year old Liam Ramos was detained by US immigrants and Customs Enforce (ICE) in Minnesota then later transported to a detention center with his father. Recent raids by ICE have transformed ordinary classes into rooms of fear, yet these tragedies don’t only evoke individual fear but mitigates academic performance and student well being. School districts must take efforts to respond and build a sense of community and belonging again.
The environment has shifted to cruel bullying and an anti-immigrant atmosphere growing within schools. Researchers from California did a poll from 600 principles. 70.4% of principles report that students from immigrant family have “expressed concerts about their well-being or the well-being of their families.” That being said the Xenophobia has increased among the student population. Hence the increased derogatory language towards Latino students, questions like “Where’s your papers?” A large portion of these hostile comments made from white students to those of other races. The impact that immigration raids have had on those family’s and students have become utterly transparent to school officials.
Certain schools and a mass number of students have taken matters into their own hands, unifying to protest against Trumps administrations crackdown. In California alone, 3,000 students left classes to walk out and protest against ICE. One students Hart Lipp Smith a junior from Sequyoah School in Pasadena reported “There are times when protesting is more necessary than going to the classroom.” Organizations have also fostered schools to host “Know Your Rights” sessions to empower students. For example, one student successfully refused to sign self-deportation papers while being detained because he practiced his rights in a school led workshop.
It is inevitable that school districts and the public to offer emotional and pyschological support for the affected families and students. Watch sudden changes in behavior while also ensuring mental health resources is accessible to multilingual families. When we transform silence arounds these voids, through raising awareness and policy advocacy we ensure a school where every student is protected.
Works Cited
Levin, S. (2026, January 23). ICE detains five-year-old Minnesota boy arriving home, say school officials. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/ice-arrests-five-year-old-boy-minnesota
Kaleem, J., Sequeira, K., Buchanan, C., & Mehta, S. (2026, January 31). Students walk out of L.A. County schools, calling for “ICE out of L.A.” – Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-01-30/los-angeles-school-students-walkout-ice-immigration-protests
Levin, S. (2025, December 11). Immigrant students experience more bullying as ICE raids cause ‘culture of fear’, says survey. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/10/immigrant-students-ice-crackdowns
Fugees Family. (2025, October 6). Support Fugees Family | Empower Refugee Education. https://fugeesfamily.org/become-a-supporter/
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