Staff answer questions about ICE and school safety procedures

(Defense Visual Information Distribution Service/public domain image)

AJMS is responding to ICE by assuring students they are safe by explaining the school’s safety procedures.

Students have been getting more and more concerned about ICE due to all of the recent events in the news including the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good as well as the detainment of 5-year old Liam Conejo and his dad Adrian Conejo.

Assistant Principal Wendy Perez and other staff talked to students during their investigations class to answer any questions on ICE concerns.

Some safety procedures by staff and administrators are whenever anyone comes to the gates of the school they must provide valid identification and must state why they are here and who they are here for.

Perez stated, “If ICE arrives in front of the school to come in they will be confronted by the security guard outside, an administrator will send paperwork to the school’s district and they will send it to the lawyer, limit student movement, and locate all students.” 

Liliana Garcia, Community Schools Coordinator, was one of the other staff that spoke to the investigations students and said she can relate to our concerns because she comes from an immigrant family.

Garcia said, “I come from an immigrant family and I feel very disappointed. I do think this is similar to the Nazi and Jews and the Anne Frank situation. We are beginning to see various similarities to it and we don’t want history to repeat itself.”

As well as Garcia, Counselor Laura Gutierrez comes from an immigrant family and was born in Mexico, with her first language being Spanish.

Gutierrez stated, “I feel very sad and attacked especially because I myself am an immigrant and come from an immigrant family.”

An anonymous member of [writer] Leam’s family is not happy with what’s happening and all the power that ICE has been given.

The anonymous member of Leam’s family said, “I can’ t stand to see how families are being ripped apart … I can understand having different opinions in political views but things moved from opinions and thoughts to violent actions…Using the same government and soldiers against the people was one thing that scared me the most.”

An anonymous member from [writer] Gerardo’s family said she doesn’t understand why innocent people are being taken away from their families.

The member of Gerardo’s family said, “I know some people that have gotten detained; some can be bad or criminals but not all, they discriminate based on looks and harming people that come here for a better education for them or their children, to protect their families.”