Dive Brief:

• A Los Angeles Unified School District student was detained outside of Arleta High School on Monday morning by immigration enforcement officers who refused to identify themselves, according to a district spokesperson.
• During the incident, agents drew guns on and handcuffed the 15-year-old boy with disabilities “in an alleged case of mistaken identity,” LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez said in a Monday statement. The officers eventually released the student “when it was made clear that they were not in pursuit” of them, according to Tom Cohen, public information officer for the district. 
• LAUSD says it has strengthened safety measures to maintain “safe zones” at and around its schools as a result of recent immigration enforcement activity, including by establishing rapid-response protocols in case of more incidents and increasing the district's presence in impacted communities. The district is also offering virtual schooling so students impacted by immigration enforcement can access education online.

Dive Insight:

Los Angeles has been a hotbed for immigration enforcement, and its schools have been particularly impacted in light of a Trump administration change to decades-old Department of Homeland Security policy that now allows such activity in “protected areas” such as school grounds.

In April, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to enter two LAUSD elementary schools, saying they were conducting "wellness checks" on children who had "arrived unaccompanied at the border.” The agents reportedly told school staff they had permission from the students’ families to speak with them — which was untrue,  according to two U.S. senators who spoke with ICE officials following the incidents. 

However, in both cases, building leaders denied the agents entry under district protocols. 

"Los Angeles Unified stands united in protecting every student and family during this period of heightened immigration enforcement," Cohen said Tuesday in an emailed statement after the most recent incident. "We will never ask about or share a student’s immigration status unless required by law, and we are committed to maintaining safe zones around our schools." 

In addition to offering virtual school and strengthening school safety measures, LAUSD has launched multiple initiatives to help support students and families impacted by immigration enforcement activity, including by offering:

• A 24/7 family phone hotline that provides assistance with immigration issues and mental health issues, among other things.
• Legal referrals as part of its 2025 "We Are One" campaign, a formal effort by the district to include immigrant families in school affairs and address their concerns.
• A "We Have Rights" empowerment campaign to educate the school community on their rights during the most common types of ICE encounters. The campaign includes a series of animations in seven languages.
• Protocols for responding to immigration personnel requests for information. 
• Weekly workshops starting Aug. 22, with sessions covering topics including immigrants’ legal rights. 

During the Monday incident at Arleta High School, the district coordinated with contracted partners to provide legal support to the student and affected family. 

As students prepare to return to school in Los Angeles this week, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said in a statement that "immigration enforcement near schools disrupts learning and creates anxiety that can last far beyond the school day." 

According to local reports, enrollment in the district's online school has increased as ICE activity continues. However, the district did not attribute that rise directly to any cause.

“The first day of school is this Thursday in Los Angeles — but because of action by this White House, many families throughout our city are terrified,” Los Angeles City Mayor Karen Bass said in a joint statement with LAUSD on Monday. 

Recent immigration enforcement policies under the Trump administration — including vagueness surrounding who will be arrested and how long they may be detained — is causing chronic anxiety in students, which has been linked to absenteeism, classroom disengagement and heightened emotional distress, according to a July report released by psychiatric researchers at University of California, Riverside and New York University. This, the researchers wrote, has led students “to avoid school or withdraw from public life.”

The researchers highlighted schools’ roles as critical sites for early identification of students' mental health needs and support, but added they can also be places where immigrant youth “experience trauma-related avoidance, disengagement, or behavioral challenges.” 

“When children witness peers, parents, or other individuals detained, the image is not easily erased.” Carvalho said in a Monday statement. “These moments imprint on young minds, distracting them from academic lessons and replacing intellectual curiosity with worry.”