WASHINGTON (AP) — The last time she saw her husband, the father of her three children, was when he left their Washington apartment a month ago to buy milk and diapers. Soon she learned he was pulled over—not by routine traffic authorities, but by local police—and not to worry. The next time she heard from him, he was at a detention center in Virginia.
Since that day, the 40-year-old mother of three has been too afraid to take her sons to their nearby charter school. Like her husband, who has since been deported, she is an immigrant from Guatemala and has lived in the U.S. illegally for over a decade, speaking anonymously for fear of immigration authorities targeting her.
Their children, all born in Washington, have been impacted significantly. The older boys attend a local charter school, but one was so disturbed by his father's absence that he missed three consecutive days of school. To cope with the fear surrounding immigration enforcement, community volunteers began organizing walking buses to help children safely reach school.
The recent reopening of schools in Washington coincided with a surge of law enforcement visibly present, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents patrolling neighborhoods. Parents in some communities have reported significant drops in school attendance due to fear instilled by the police presence.
According to education expert Ben Williams, who serves on the District of Columbia State Board of Education, the unrest has fostered an environment of fear that threatens student safety as families grapple with the implications of potential deportations. Research has linked immigration raids near schools with lower academic outcomes for Latino students, further exacerbated during the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration.
The impact on children is especially devastating; many are U.S. citizens with immigrant parents. In 2023, approximately 4.6 million U.S.-born children lived with an unauthorized parent, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of enforced immigration policies.
In this climate, the dreams of children and their parents are at risk. The Guatemalan mother reflects, My dream was to give them the best education. That American dream is gone.
As debates on immigration policy continue, the emotional landscape for families hanging in the balance grows more complex, underlining the urgent need for solutions that prioritize the well-being of children.
Since that day, the 40-year-old mother of three has been too afraid to take her sons to their nearby charter school. Like her husband, who has since been deported, she is an immigrant from Guatemala and has lived in the U.S. illegally for over a decade, speaking anonymously for fear of immigration authorities targeting her.
Their children, all born in Washington, have been impacted significantly. The older boys attend a local charter school, but one was so disturbed by his father's absence that he missed three consecutive days of school. To cope with the fear surrounding immigration enforcement, community volunteers began organizing walking buses to help children safely reach school.
The recent reopening of schools in Washington coincided with a surge of law enforcement visibly present, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents patrolling neighborhoods. Parents in some communities have reported significant drops in school attendance due to fear instilled by the police presence.
According to education expert Ben Williams, who serves on the District of Columbia State Board of Education, the unrest has fostered an environment of fear that threatens student safety as families grapple with the implications of potential deportations. Research has linked immigration raids near schools with lower academic outcomes for Latino students, further exacerbated during the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration.
The impact on children is especially devastating; many are U.S. citizens with immigrant parents. In 2023, approximately 4.6 million U.S.-born children lived with an unauthorized parent, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of enforced immigration policies.
In this climate, the dreams of children and their parents are at risk. The Guatemalan mother reflects, My dream was to give them the best education. That American dream is gone.
As debates on immigration policy continue, the emotional landscape for families hanging in the balance grows more complex, underlining the urgent need for solutions that prioritize the well-being of children.
