How educators and UnidosUS Affiliates are protecting students from the threat of deportation
There are more than 65,000 undocumented students who graduate from high school every year. As the Trump administration has put a target on the backs of all immigrants, educators are being forced to play a key role in protecting these students.
Students who have witnessed an immigration raid or fear they or someone in their family may be deported come to school with severe stress that makes it difficult for them to concentrate and do well in their studies. With all undocumented immigrants a target for deportation, this scenario has become far more common.
“We have not seen this climate of fear that we are seeing now,” said Cesar Moreno Perez, Associate Director of the Human Rights and Community Relations Department at the American Federation of Teachers, during a workshop on protecting students from the threat of deportation.
“It should not be a Democrat or Republican issue—it should be a human value issue,” he added.