With threats of a federal ‘surge,’ absences spiked on Thursday among Oakland’s immigrant students

Oakland district leaders noticed a wave of absences among the many district’s immigrant college students final week, following information that federal brokers arrived within the East Bay for a attainable immigration enforcement operation.

District leaders suspect many households saved their youngsters at residence out of concern they may very well be stopped on their strategy to or from faculty.

Colleges don’t document the immigration standing of their college students, however the attendance charges of newcomers (college students who’ve been in america for lower than three years) and English-speaking college students generally is a benchmark for these of immigrant households.

Between Monday and Wednesday final week, college students studying English averaged about 700 absences per day. On Thursday, the day brokers arrived on Coast Guard Island within the Oakland Estuary, the variety of absentees rose to greater than 1,100, stated Nicole Knight, govt director of the English Language Learner and Multilingual Achievement workplace that serves immigrant and newcomer households. For newcomers, there have been about 200 every day absences Monday by Wednesday, whereas on Thursday they shot as much as 427, Knight stated.

At Oakland Worldwide Excessive College, which serves new immigrants, 67% of scholars confirmed up for college Thursday, 11 factors decrease than the typical highschool attendance price this faculty yr. Funding to assist immigrant college students is commonly tied to attendance and enrollment, so fluctuations can result in future income declines.

Earlier than Thursday, OUSD’s average attendance rate this faculty yr it was 93%. On the day of October 23, it dropped to 91.1%.

“My takeaway from all of that is that households have been very nervous final week and that led to an elevated variety of absences amongst our immigrant scholar inhabitants – notably our newly arrived college students,” Knight advised The Oaklandside. “On Friday we nonetheless noticed greater than common absences, however improved attendance, suggesting that a few of our communications and assurances round our protocols and helps have been useful.”

‘We won’t tolerate youngster abduction’

After information broke that federal brokers arrived within the Bay Space to conduct an operation, OUSD assured households and the group that their colleges are protected havens from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Final Wednesday, OUSD despatched a message to the college group that the district acquired discover as early as Saturday about immigration enforcement actions that started within the Bay Space. The message reiterated that OUSD is a “sanctuary district, in Oakland, a sanctuary metropolis, in California, a sanctuary state.”

“Meaning we assist all college students, households and workers, no matter the place they arrive from or how they acquired right here,” the message stated.

OUSD Interim Superintendent Denise Saddler echoed these sentiments throughout a information convention Thursday.

“Let’s be clear: We don’t want outdoors troops or brokers coming into our metropolis to intimidate, bully or separate our households,” Saddler stated. “Oakland has by no means been a spot of concern. We won’t tolerate the kidnapping of kids or the tearing aside of communities.”

Starting Thursday morning, group members held protests, marches and vigils to oppose the FBI’s presence within the Bay.

Information that the operation was being paused started to unfold Thursday, first with an announcement at 10 a.m. by President Donald Trump on his social media platform Reality Social that he the cancellation of the federal effort to San Francisco after conversations with Mayor Daniel Lurie and different “nice individuals” like Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce. Later that day, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez confirmed the pause was additionally being prolonged to Oakland and the East Bay.

OUSD Protocolswhich Knight stated has been considered a whole lot of occasions since final week, states that when immigration officers arrive on campus, faculty employees should refer them to the principal and should not allowed to offer any details about college students, households or workers. It says ICE brokers won’t be allowed on campus until they’ve a warrant signed by a choose that has been verified by the district’s authorized workforce.

Additionally the Alameda County Workplace of Training sent a message encourage households to create plans for immigration emergencies together with organizing childcare, figuring out your authorized choices and studying your rights. Alameda County is the fourth most various county within the nation, with 57% of scholars dwelling with an immigrant father or mother, the workplace stated.

Bay Resistance, the Bay Space’s social justice group, additionally presents coaching for individuals who need to take part foot patrols around schools.

A 2025 state regulation, Meeting Invoice 49, prohibits immigration officers from coming into colleges and not using a warrant, subpoena or courtroom order and prohibits faculty workers from offering details about college students and their households to immigration enforcement authorities.

Knight stated the district has ready for this second and has protocols in place to guard college students and households.

“It is a reminder to evaluate our protocols, take a deep breath, after which remind individuals of our values: that we assist all college students, that each one college students and households are welcome in our colleges, and that we’re right here to make sure that we’ve locations of studying which can be as free from concern as attainable,” she advised The Oaklandside. “We proceed to remind individuals that everybody has rights on this nation, and that we’ve assets to assist you.”