The Orange County Schools Superintendent has a message for families who are worried about sending their kids to school amidst ICE raids: they are safe with us.
Amidst immigration raids in Florida, and active deportations from the South Florida detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz, some Central Florida families say they are afraid to send kids to school.
Orange County Superintendent Maria Vazquez said while she cannot take away the fear those families feel, she can give them this one promise:
“I believe our schools are the safest place for our children. They are able to get the education, the support services they need,” said Vazquez.
She reiterated several times she believes Central Florida schools continue to be the safest places for kids to be.
“We'll follow the law, but we will keep them safe and the safest places for them to be, is in our schools,” said Vazquez.
A Trump administration policy allows ICE to conduct immigration activities in formerly “protected” places like schools and churches.
Watch OCPS’ welcome back message to students here:
Vazquez says there was only one incident of an ICE agent showing up in the district last year, and they were referred to the district’s legal services.
When asked about whether ICE agents would conduct raids in Florida schools this year, Governor Ron DeSantis said he wasn’t sure.
“You'd have to ask [ICE], I don't know. I don't know that that's been what ICE has done. Obviously, I don't control that. That's something that the federal government controls,” said DeSantis.
ICE did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Last year the American Federation of Teachers visited the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association and passed out several free resources on the topic.
Those resources included a “Know Your Rights” handout for families, and cards that can be printed out and kept in a child’s backpack.
