WASHINGTON, D.C. — When local law enforcement has partnered with federal authorities on immigration enforcement, hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizen children have been displaced, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis found that in U.S. counties that partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through arrangements known as 287(g) agreements, the number of Hispanic students enrolled in school — the majority of whom are U.S. citizens — drops by nearly 10 percent within only two years.
“We’re talking about American children disappearing from school when their families are forced from their communities,” said Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum. “Stoking the fears of immigrant families at the local level irrevocably disrupts the lives and well-being of U.S. citizen children.
“Such policies do not help community safety. Local law enforcement agencies need community trust to keep everyone safe. Jeopardizing the safety and stability of our nation’s children is an unforgivable price to pay for a system that does not make us safer.”