For the third day in a row, students from various schools on the Eastside walked out in protest of Trump’s immigration policies, braving light showers throughout the morning.
The protests come as the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) issued a statement acknowledging reports of individuals posing as law enforcement or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents approaching members of the school community.
In a statement posted on social media, LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho said:
“This has the effect of generating fear within our communities. Please be advised that falsely impersonating a local, state, or federal agency or law enforcement official is illegal.”
“The District stands in strong condemnation of those who would seek to intimidate or disrupt those in and around our schools.”
Alberto Carvalho, Los Angeles Unified School District
Carvalho added that LAUSD is working with school police and law enforcement partners to address any reports of such incidents involving school students and staff.
Students have been using social media to connect and share details of planned walkouts throughout the week. At rallies this week, students waved signs and chanted calling for an end to mass deportations in the U.S.
At Roosevelt High School, a group of students walked out shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday, using flags from Latin American countries and hoodies to protect themselves from the rain.
Several students also walked out of Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School and Garfield High School, social media posts show. Students at more schools districtwide have planned to walk out, according to local media reports.
President Trump has pledged mass deportations on an unprecedented scale. In his early days in office, he declared a national emergency at the southern border and issued orders that empowered ICE agents to carry out arrests in sensitive locations, such as schools and churches, effectively reversing policies in place since 2011.
