Last week, Homeland Security agents showed up unannounced and without a warrant at two elementary schools in our district.
They attempted to question students, young children, without legal authority. Agents claimed to have permission from guardians to visit these children – this was false. Fortunately, staff at both schools acted quickly and refused to let the agents in, in accordance with our laws to protect kids’ privacy and safety. However, the fact that this even happened should alarm every parent, teacher, and public servant in this country.
In my view, this wasn’t a miscommunication or a misunderstanding, and their visit wasn’t about public safety. I believe it was an unauthorized attempt that is part of a much larger, disturbing trend being pushed by the Trump Administration.
The Trump administration, and conservatives in Congress who are going along with this, have made it clear that they want to return to the most aggressive, chaotic, and dehumanizing immigration enforcement tactics we’ve seen in decades. They’re pushing false narratives to justify sweeping deportations, and they’re using federal agencies to carry them out, even if it means showing up at elementary schools under potentially false pretenses.
When federal agents attempt to conceal their identities, enter school grounds without a warrant, or mislead school staff about their purpose, they undermine public safety. If they target children for immigration enforcement in spaces that should be secure, they provoke fear, discourage cooperation with public institutions, and break down public trust.
The Supreme Court has been clear that every child in this country has the right to a public education, regardless of their immigration status. But when fear keeps kids away from school, they are essentially being denied that right. And when families feel unsafe accessing a basic public service like education, the system has already failed them.
I came to this country as an immigrant. I grew up in public schools like the ones these agents targeted. I’ve taught in the classroom for a decade and know how important it is that students feel safe and secure in school environments. I refuse to let this slide, because no child should be made to feel like a target in their own school.
That’s why I led 17 of my colleagues representing Los Angeles in Congress in demanding immediate answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). We want to know who authorized this operation, why protocols weren’t followed, and what the true motives behind this attempted entry were.
We need to be clear – unauthorized visits like this cannot be a trend. Our schools should be protected spaces, not places where shadowy immigration enforcement quietly takes place.
What makes this even more concerning is that the Trump administration has ended key protections that once protected schools, places of worship, and other sensitive locations from immigration enforcement. That decision speaks louder than any statement they give about protecting children. The Trump Administration can’t claim to care about the safety and well-being of children while sending agents to elementary schools.
These schools serve neighborhoods that are overwhelmingly Latino and immigrant, and the families in them want what any parent wants – stability, safety, and a shot at a better life for their kids.
Federal agencies should not operate above the law. They answer to the public, and when their actions are unjustified, we will demand answers. No one gets a free pass when children and public trust are on the line.
The agents who attempted to access these two elementary schools crossed a line. It’s on us in Congress to do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
We need to stop these unauthorized enforcement actions before they become normalized. And we need to ensure that every school district, every educator, and every family knows that we will fight to protect their fundamental rights and freedoms.
I’ll keep demanding answers and fighting to protect our immigrant communities, because no student or family should ever have to worry about who’s knocking on the school door.
Our communities deserve better, and they deserve to know we’re standing with them.
Robert Garcia, the former mayor of Long Beach, represents California’s 42nd District in Congress.