Before the Santa Maria-Bonita School District board meeting Wednesday evening, around 100 teachers, parents, and students gathered to call for safety for immigrant students and their families.
"Our goal as educators is to make the community aware and our students aware that we are here for every student from all walks of life, regardless of their income, their religion, their race, and their citizenship status," said Jose Rodriguez, a school district U.S. history teacher. "We are here to educate every student, who walks through our doors."
The teachers at the rally said that since the election, students have been coming to them, concerned for their safety.
"I've had students ask me, 'Could I be deported for this reason or for that reason? If my aunt was pulled over for a speeding ticket, should they be concerned about going to court?'" said Rodriguez.
"No learning will happen if they're cognitively distracted by something such as: Is my family going to be there when I get home, and am I OK here is someone coming to get me," said Kristen Lohr, the president of Santa Maria Elementary Education Association, a teachers union in Santa Maria.
"Deportation is a really big issue for our students," said Rodriguez. "There is a lot of anxiety and fear around that. It's a real thing, it's not like a political-ideological issue, this is a reality, a lived reality for our students."
Teachers at the rally say they hope it will help students and their families feel safe and supported at school.
The City of Santa Maria did release a statement this month stating: “The city remains strictly focused on local public safety responsibilities. Neither the city, the county nor the state of California can lawfully restrict federal agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, from conducting administrative or law enforcement actions within its boundaries.”
