Utah teachers concerned immigration raids could impact students

SALT LAKE CITY — Teachers in Utah are worried immigration raids across the country will impact their students as the new school year approaches.

Kohen Castaneda teaches in the Jordan School District. He’s worried about what would happen if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement brought immigration raids to his school.

Castaneda and some other teachers at his school have decided they will not let ICE into their classrooms.

“It’s a weird reality that we’re living in, where we don’t really know what to do in the case of what’s going to cost us our job,” Castaneda said. “And then what’s going to cost us our students? So even if I lose my job, will a student be never heard from again?”

Other teachers echoed Castaneda’s concerns.

Jackie Webster works in teacher development for the Jordan School District. She said some schools in the district have many refugees and students from Venezuela.

Webster said concerns about immigration raids affected attendance at the end of the last school year.

“I’ve heard of just a couple of schools where students haven’t gone to school because they are worried about that,” Webster said. “I’m sure it’s going to continue at the beginning of the school year because it hasn’t ended.”

Webster said this makes it harder to help the students.

“You still want those kids to learn,” Webster said. “So then it’s hard — how are you going to give those materials for them to continue learning?” 

Carolyn Criddle with the Nebo School District said she hasn’t heard any concern about ICE raids since the school year has yet to start, but she said, “I’m sure that will be an effect.”

KSL NewsRadio’s Sam Herrera contributed to this report.