As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers continue to take families off the streets of Los Angeles, teenagers are not only anxious but filled with sadness at the thought of their loved ones being taken away from them.
“I think it affects people (with) not only fear, but sadness,” junior Midori Lestrange said. “It’s not so bad that it’s depression, but it’s sadness because something you’ve worked so hard for is being taken away from you with no real reason.”
As of July 16, there have been over 2,000 people detained by ICE in LA. According to data shown by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 57% of detainees haven’t been charged with a crime and 68% of them have no criminal convictions. Continuous raids conducted by ICE officers have also resulted in LA declaring a state of emergency to assist those who are affected by constant immigration raids.
In the article, “‘Can I just be a kid?’ Students shaken by immigration raids seek help from school counselors,” schools reported that students changed in their behavior and their emotions due to ICE raids. Students’ daily absence rates increased by 22% due to frequent raids in California. They skipped school and failed to get more support to help with their worry and disquiet feelings about the raids. Students also text their parents during school instruction to ensure their safety.
“If you worry every day that the second you go outside you or your loved one is going to be taken by ICE,” freshman Bethania Terefe said. “We can’t go outside without peace anymore. You feel constant overbearing stress at all times and you can’t calm down.”
ICE officers detained a 15-year-old student with disabilities outside of Arleta High School on Aug. 11. Although the student was released due to being mistaken for the person originally aimed to detain, the student’s detention sparked outrage throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), causing LAUSD officials to begin measures to keep students safe throughout the school year. The number of detained LAUSD students is unknown.
LAUSD began increasing support for students by expanding “safe zones,” providing alternative transportation routes, enrollment options at virtual academies and spreading awareness by distributing information to students and families.
“I feel like the school could help by making it feel secure,” freshman Alex Jimenez said. “School should be a safe community.”
According to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, studies show that children whose parents are deported are more prone to a high level of psychological stress. Loss of sleep, withdrawals and attachment issues are actions and emotional states children develop when being separated from their loved ones. Communities express how the raids are forms of racial discrimination, mainly going after the Latino community.
This includes not applying for health programs, which takes a toll on childrens’ emotional well-being due to not getting the emotional support they need. Parents who get deported are distressed, given that they might never see their children again. Thus, if an older sibling is left with their younger sibling, they must find a new way of living, which causes a lot of stress to the older sibling. Having to take care of their siblings, get a job and attend school puts a lot on the older sibling’s shoulders.
“I think it’s horrible because there’s a lot of older siblings who will take in their younger siblings because it’s your sibling,” Lestrange said. “You care about them. You love them and you want them to have a good life the way your parents wanted you to have a good life.”
