Immigration advocates call for mask bans and increased local oversight of federal authorities after a parent was recently picked up near an East Las Vegas school.
Arguing that federal authorities undermine school safety, Abraham Camejo, an East Las Vegas community leader, said President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown contributes to school absenteeism—despite recent efforts to keep immigration enforcement off school grounds. Nevada’s Assembly Bill 4, passed during the special session this fall, limits law enforcement’s access to district or public school “grounds, buildings, or facilities.”
Camejo’s comments resonated during a Democratic town hall at the East Las Vegas Library last week, stemming from an incident where a student’s parent was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near Rancho High School, in North Las Vegas, following a morning drop-off.
“You have the school district door-knocking, looking for kids that are missing school,” he said. “Does my community really want to open the door for a volunteer door-knocking, checking for attendance. I don’t know if that’s an undercover ICE agent.”
Earlier this week, Clark County School District (CCSD) hosted two “Bright Future Community Walks,” in which volunteers went to the homes of students who’ve been chronically absent to help them “reconnect” with their education.
It’s unclear whether the dip in school attendance is directly associated with ICE arrests.
However, after a parent was abducted by ICE just outside Rancho, the situation sent shockwaves through the school, said Democratic Assemblyman Reuben D’Silva, an educator on campus. He said the arrest led to a student walkout.
The ZIP code—-89101—where Rancho is located, is predominantly Hispanic, comprising 58% of the population, compared to less than 34% citywide.
“When that pickup took place, the enrollment dropped,” D’Silva said. “We saw a huge effect in the amount of students … showing up to school.”
For Camejo, a Rancho High School alumnus who supports families in the area, provisions in the crime bill that bar law enforcement from school campuses don’t go nearly far enough.
Nevada law and the CCSD policies, under AB4, prohibit law enforcement, including ICE, from entering school campuses unless:
- A lawful order, warrant, or subpoena has been issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.
- The law enforcement officer determines that exigent circumstances exist, making it unreasonable to obtain an order or warrant beforehand.
- The officer is investigating, preventing, or enforcing a criminal offense under state or local law or ordinance.
- The officer is providing educational programming to pupils or employees of the school district or public school.
Camejo says more protections are needed, especially when enforcement occurs just outside school campuses, intimidating immigrant families and students in particular. He called for stronger institutional safeguards against ICE agents’ concealment of their identities, urging mask bans and proper badge numbers for accountability.
“My question is, we have all these immigration agents and everything, and the rule of law—okay—but who are they?” Camejo asked. “Why are they still wearing masks?”
