A 17-year-old student at McMinnville High School was arrested by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in November.
The incident happened off campus during lunch. He was released back to his family after being confirmed as a US citizen, though ICE agents threatened him and broke his truck window during the arrest.
The detainment of a student in Oregon, although temporary, was a great cause of alarm. Already, ICE officers patrol surrounding areas, creating a fearful environment for teenagers and their families to go about their lives. With no communication between ICE and local law enforcement, information on ICE activity often comes from word of mouth.
Principal Michael Dellerba and dedicated adults at Tualatin High School (TuHS) have been working hard to keep TuHS a safe place to get to and learn.
“The biggest thing for us right now is talking to families to make sure that they know that this is a sanctuary school and that we take precautions to make sure our kids are safe,” said Dellerba. “For some of our most impacted bus routes, Zach Cooper and I will ride the buses with them and pop off before the rest of the bus and take a look around to make sure it’s safe for students to go.”
He added that some bus routes have also been altered to pick up students closer to where they live. However, this is only one of many precautions taken.
Additionally, the Tigard-Tualatin School District (TTSD) website has resources for students and families navigating immigration issues or who feel unsafe because of ICE activity. A list of external resources can be found at https://www.ttsdschools.org/departments/equity-andinclusion/safe-and-welcoming-schools on the TTSD website under “Safe and Welcoming Schools” on the Equity and Inclusion department page.
Some of these resources include information on immigration rights and legal services, as well as a space to report ICE concerns.
Dellerba stressed the importance of students knowing their rights and being prepared.
“Our job is to make sure they’re safe,” said Dellerba. “If students feel like there’s something not safe related to ICE, they need to call us and let us know or come in and tell us, and we an help plan for whatever it is. It’ll take all of us together to make sure that education is a place for democracy.”
The school has been told that ICE will not come onto campus to arrest students, so it remains a safe place to for students and their families to be.
