Phoenix Union reminds families about remote learning options amid ICE activity

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Union High School District is reminding students concerned about immigration raids they have the option to log into class remotely.

The district offers Phoenix Digital Academy, an online high school, year-round. Superintendent Thea Andrade sent out a letter to parents on Friday informing them about the online option.

“I honor the widespread uncertainty facing our families with mixed-immigration status at home,” the letter said.

The district, which serves about 25,000 students in 23 schools, also released a video on social media Tuesday laying out students’ rights regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

What did Phoenix Union leader say in video?

Phoenix Union Governing Board President Francisco Pastor-Rivera explained in the video that ICE needs a warrant to enter a home or a school, and students can record agents at any time.

“Keep your contact information updated in Synergy, make a preparation plan and memorize emergency contact information. Our school board has officially declared our campuses as safe zones, and we will not share any private student or family information illegally,” he said. Synergy is a digital information system used by the district.

This comes amid an apparent increase in federal immigration enforcement activity around the Valley, including raids this week by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on multiple Zipps Sports Grill locations.

School official says ICE activity could affect attendance

Martin Quezada, member of the Arizona Latino School Board Association and school board member in Phoenix’s Pendergast Elementary School District, said the uptick in ICE activity could cause attendance issues if students are afraid to attend in person.

“Ultimately, you know, all schools should be doing this,” Quezada said, referring to Phoenix Union’s recent actions. “We should be reaffirming that we are safe spaces. And if we’re not safe spaces, we should be trying to get to a place where we can be a safe place. But you know, as students are still feeling that fear, there’s nothing that a school can do to absolutely guarantee that their school is a safe space.”

Students at several Valley schools reportedly staged walkouts Wednesday afternoon protesting ICE’s actions. Mesa Public Schools, the state’s largest public district, released a statement saying it “respects students’ rights to express themselves” with the caveat that “students who do not return in time for their next class period will be marked absent.”

Additional anti-ICE walkouts are reportedly planned for 10 a.m. Friday, including at Desert Sunrise High School in Phoenix and Maricopa High School.

Quezada said students are impacted regardless of immigration status and walkouts are a way for them to express their fear.

“We are concerned because we want students to be safe. We want students to be in the classroom. And a walkout is the last thing we want to see, but at the same time, we have to completely understand why they are doing it and how much of an impact this ICE activity throughout the nation and this administration as a whole is having not only on their lives at home, but on their lives in the classroom as well,” he said.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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