San Diegans in City Heights protest ICE arrests outside schools
More than 50 people gathered at University and Fairmount avenues on Wednesday to call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to leave their community alone.
Written by Kate Morrissey, Edited by Lauren J. Mapp
More than 50 people gathered outside the Denny's at the corner of University and Fairmount avenues on Wednesday to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement's presence near local schools.
Organized by the City Heights Defense Committee, the protest sought to call attention to arrests and ICE sightings at or near Hoover High School, John Marshall Elementary School and Ibarra Elementary School in the past couple of weeks. Several media outlets have reported that ICE has increased its presence across California leading up to the November election.
“Every child deserves to walk into a school building knowing they are safe — not some children, not children with a right last name, not children whose parents have the right paperwork — every single child,” said Monique Barrett, president of the San Diego Education Association. “The fact that saying those words has become controversial tells us something about this moment.”
Members of the City Heights Defense Committee who asked not to be identified said they had seen ICE vehicles on the streets near the neighborhood's schools and even in the parking lots in some cases. They said a faculty member reported to them that an ICE officer parks his car in the Hoover High School parking lot at random times.
That includes an arrest made last week near John Marshall Elementary School after a car accident whose videos have spread on social media.
Maria Romero, one of the founders of City Heights Defense Committee, said that ICE activity near schools violates the rights of children and traumatizes them.
“Schools should be a sanctuary,” Romero said.
She said officers are not only grabbing family members in front of children but also pushing children away or even throwing them to the ground during the arrests.
“Every time they feed their families with salaries they've gotten, they are feeding their families with our sorrow, our pain, our tears and our blood,” Romero said, referring to ICE officers.
Mea Marie, who documents ICE activity, said ICE has developed a "grab first, ask questions later” tactic.
One community member said she was worried about schools losing their funding because fears about ICE are leading families to choose to keep their children at home. School funding is based on attendance.
Unión del Barrio this week also documented ICE vehicles outside of King-Chavez Preparatory Academy.
Barrett made four demands of local school and elected officials — safe passage for children to and from school, a 1,000-foot protective perimeter around every school, training and protection for educators and accountability and follow through from every institution involved in students’ well-being.
As the protest gathered in the late afternoon, a teen passing by asked one of the organizers if she could borrow a megaphone.
“Kids shouldn't be afraid to go to school,” she yelled.
She said parents should be able to go to work without fear as well.
When she finished, she rejoined her friend who was waiting for her.
“Te la rifaste,” her friend said as they walked off together. You nailed it.
As the girls left, the activists resumed their chanting.
“ICE out of City Heights,” they cried. “ICE out of SD! ICE out of everywhere!”
As they chanted, drivers honked in support, and a young boy sitting in the back of a passing car with the window down nodded his head.
