Columbia Heights superintendent: At one school, ICE has detained at least 23 parents
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After the arrest, detainment and return of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, Columbia Heights and its youngest population have been in the public eye.
Although Liam’s case garnered international attention, the school district has been plagued for weeks by threats of deportations, according to Zena Stenvik, superintendent of the Twin Cities north suburban school district. A second grader and fifth grader from Ramos’ school have also been taken into custody by ICE.
“I have one staff member who was stopped on his way to work every single morning last week,” Stenvik said. “At Liam’s school alone, at least 23 parents have been detained.”
As a response, students wrote letters to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of a project to express emotions about recent events. Stenvik is working to have the letters delivered to the Department of Homeland Security.
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“It’s very clear even to some of our youngest little people in our community that what’s happening is wrong,” she said.
According to Stenvik, many of the families and staff in her school district are people of color, which she said is why they’ve been targeted so much. She said teachers and staff are fielding questions from children who are worried they’ll return home to find their parents gone.
“It is really taking a toll on our educators,” Stenvik said. “It’s a level of intensity, anxiety and fear that no teacher should have to support on a daily basis.”
She also added that much of the staff are carrying passports themselves and delivering groceries to families who are sheltering in place.
Interactions with ICE aren’t the only thing causing anxiety for the students and faculty in Columbia Heights. On Monday, schools across the district were closed after a credible bomb threat. However, classes are resuming again Tuesday.
— Cathy Wurzer, Lukas Levin, MPR News
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