Sergio Barragan looking at the resources provided by teachers.

A significant number of students at Morton East are seeking support due to ICE raids in our community.

According to ChatGPT, students in communities affected by ICE raids often experience chronic stress and anxiety due to fear of family separation or deportation. Many students are not getting the ideal school experience they need and want because of the constant fear of being separated from their families. Emotional distress from raids can lead to difficulty concentrating, increased absenteeism, and lower academic achievement. This affects not only immigrants but also families who are not directly targeted. These families may experience collective trauma, mistrust of authorities, and reduced participation in schools or community events. Ongoing stress and disrupted education can also limit future opportunities and lower college enrollment rates. Outside of school, stress and fear from ongoing ICE activity can lead to reduced public interactions and fewer traditional community events.

In a random survey of 328 Morton East students, students were asked various questions. The questions and results are shown below:

Do your parents feel frightened because of the ICE raids happening in our community?

Yes – 45 → 90%

No – 5 → 10%

Do you feel safe on your way to school with ICE around your community?

Yes – 7 → 14%

No – 43 → 86%

Are you being offered support at school due to concern or fear of ICE raids?

Yes – 19 → 40%

No – 28 → 60%

Have you seen or encountered ICE?

Yes – 20 → 41%

No – 29 → 59%

Has ICE impacted your mental health?

Yes – 32 → 65%

No – 17 → 35%

Do you feel safe at school with ICE around?

Yes – 4 → 11%

No – 31 → 89%

Has ICE impacted your education?

Yes – 29 → 59%

No – 20 → 41%

To understand why students responded as they did, students and staff were interviewed. They were asked the following questions:

1. Do you know anyone whose family has been directly impacted by ICE or deportation? How did that affect them?
2. Have you ever witnessed an ICE raid or heard about one happening near your school or home? How did it make you feel?
3. What do you think can be done to support students or families who might be afraid of ICE raids?

Students also shared experiences or feelings toward the raids.

“Obviously seeing videos of the raids happening is sad, but seeing it with your own eyes and having it happen to your own people traumatizes you,” said an anonymous senior.

Another student described being followed by ICE.

“I was with my friends, and we got chased by ICE. It was upsetting to see that we’re seen as criminals just because of the way we look,” said an anonymous senior.

A different student shared the effect on a nearby family:

“My neighbors are a family of three. They do not have their papers. A couple of days ago the father was detained. They left the house they were living in, and I have not heard from them since,” said an anonymous junior.

The same student added:

“The Homeland Security Twitter account is always posting and celebrating the raids. Hispanics are being dehumanized,” said the anonymous junior.

One teacher shared the impact on students’ lives:

“I have had two students who transferred out and went to Wisconsin to avoid conflict here. I also have one student who went back to the violence in South America because he preferred that over waiting and being kidnapped here,” said a teacher at Morton East.

Another student shared broader concerns about the situation in the community:

“Local businesses lose workers and customers because of fear or the sudden absence of those who were detained. Schools see students stop attending due to anxiety and uncertainty, worried about what might happen on their way to school or if their parents will still be there when they return home. Even those who are not directly affected feel the impact. The tension, the silence, and the fear become part of daily life. All of this creates an atmosphere of unease that limits growth and trust.”

“Our school has the potential to be a true safe space, a place where students and families can find trust, understanding, and compassion. This means using language that is inclusive, humane, and honest when addressing these issues, and reminding everyone that we are part of the same community. Empathy, unity, and information can make a real difference. We might not be able to change everything overnight, but we can start by acknowledging the pain around us and offering genuine, consistent support to those who need it most.”

 Q & A with Mr. Gamboa

What are some resources being provided by the school that students may be unaware of?

“The building is open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to protect and provide a safe space after school for students waiting for someone to pick them up.”

“We have done home visits to some kids who have been affected, and that started ever since I became a principal thirteen years ago. We communicate with those kids who do not come and try to understand why they are not coming to school. This year students have told us they are not coming to school due to the ICE raids.”

“We have been telling teachers to keep their teams updated so it is almost like remote learning but not remote learning.”

“Every Tuesday we have our crisis group help anyone that is being affected by the issues happening in our community.”

Is there anything more that you think the school can do to protect the students and families in our community?

“We are the adults that kids directly talk to, and this is an incredibly unique situation that never in my twenty-four years of working at a school I have experienced, nor did I think it would ever happen. People are frustrated and angry, both students and adults. I know they want their voices to be heard. I have talked to other administrators from other schools in the surrounding area, and our school is doing more than any other school around that I have heard from. We care and we know the impact this has on students. A lot of the adults in this building care and are doing everything possible to keep students safe. It is crazy to see what is happening in the streets and in the Cicero/Chicagoland area. Some people may think it is not enough regardless of everything that is being done.”

“Some families can create a safety plan; I had to create one for my family. My wife may be white, but I look Mexican and my kids do as well, so a safety plan was needed.”

What is your opinion on the boycotts and protests currently happening in our community?

“People want their voices to be heard, and they think that boycotting things like homecoming is hurting the school’s funding but it’s not. I am a former social studies teacher, so I believe in the U.S. Constitution, freedom of speech, and that people have the right to protest. However, I do not believe in violence and believe that there is a right way to protest. Up until now, there has not been a student that has sat me down to discuss the things that are happening in the community. I just got the data from the attendance of October and when compared to last year’s attendance there was better attendance this year than last year (87% vs 87.9%). Considering everything that is happening in our community I expected for the attendance to drop, but I think that everyone is seeking a normal high school experience and it is my responsibility to make sure that those students are provided with what they need to make sure that they have the best high school experience that distracts them from the craziness happening in the world outside of school.”

How do you think we can support friends or classmates who are scared or might be struggling during these hard times?

“There are different ways to show support, some teachers aren’t necessarily trained counselors or social workers but they’re there for their students to let them know that they’re not alone, any student that also wants to help can always ask.”

“We are planning to do a food drive in a couple of weeks for the people affected by the government shutdown and affected by the ICE raids before Thanksgiving break.”