Washington Schools Brace for Anti‑Migrant Raids as the New Year Begins
Back‑to‑School Bash in Washington, D.C.
When the first bells rang Monday, the streets of the nation’s capital were buzzing more than a beehive on a sunny day.
Neighbors, parents, and community volunteers poured into elementary schools, armed with tambourines, whistles, and an unshakable resolve to keep kids safe from the looming threat of new ICE raids.
Why the Extra Cheer?
- ICE has ramped up its “sweeps” and arrests in the city.
- Fear: that schools could become the next target.
- A neighborhood with a high Latino population is on high alert.
Meet the Ground‑Zero Champions
Helena Bonde (36) swung into the elementary school riding a wheelchair, a living testament to the bravery of those protecting families who’ve felt the chill of raids.
She said, “Nobody’s trying to arrest a disabled white woman right now, so I just figured I’ll be wherever I can be.” She added, “We all wanted to do something that feels real and helps our local families feel a little safer.”
Selene, a Mexican‑American community organizer, was on the verge of keeping her daughter home. “This is not about status. It’s about how you look, right?” she confided. But once her neighbors rallied, the duo marched into school, chanting, “The community is here for you—don’t be afraid!”
Blanca, an immigrant from El Salvador, stood near the school doors holding a bilingual sign that read, “Every day is an opportunity.” She revealed the scary reality: “We’re scared to go out. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We’re not safe.”
ICE’s Paw‑Print: What’s the Deal?
The agency announced it wouldn’t raid Washington schools on Monday—yet it didn’t rule out checks for undocumented or unaccompanied kids allegedly at risk of trafficking.
“On Monday you are not going to see ICE officers doing a raid,” chief Todd Lyons told NBC last week. “But our goal… is finding those 300,000 undocumented children and those minors that came here through the last administration.”
Legal Back‑Stab: Are Kids Really Safe?
According to the 2022 Washington Post, a city council member estimated about 3,000‑4,000 undocumented students attend public schools in D.C. That’s no big difference from the Supreme Court’s 1982 ruling: all kids, regardless of status, can attend public schools.
- Jeffrey Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, called the raids “inhumane” and “fear‑mongering.”
- Lora Ries from the Heritage Foundation stresses that while kids can go to school, anyone “illegally there” should face the law.
The Human Touch
With every tambourine beat and whistle blow, the students marched into a school day lit by hope—and a community that’s unwilling to let fear decide the future. In a city that’s always on the picket line of politics, it’s a reminder that the most powerful law in town is collective goodwill.
