Joint Statement: Children belong with their families, not in federal custody

Our demands are clear. And they are not negotiable when it comes to the safety and humanity of children.

As educators, we are horrified to hear that one of our third-grade students in San Diego Unified has been detained by ICE this week. 

First, return this eight-year-old child to his family. We demand that the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, ICE, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement take immediate action to safely reunify this child with his uncle or another appropriate family caregiver. His family must receive timely information, meaningful access to legal counsel, and a clear reunification process. Every unnecessary day of separation is another day of harm. 

Second, stop separating children from their families through immigration enforcement when safe family care is available. Children should not be placed in federal facilities simply because of their family’s immigration circumstances. Family unity, child welfare, and due process must come before detention and removal decisions. 

Third, establish enforceable protections for children and schools. We demand clear federal procedures that protect students’ access to education, preserve family connections, and prevent unnecessary displacement from their schools and communities. We call on San Diego Unified and local officials to work with educators, classified professionals, families, and community organizations to strengthen school safety plans, family notification procedures, and safe passage protections. 

Fourth, transparency and accountability are not optional. Federal agencies must provide meaningful oversight, timely reunification reviews, and public reporting on the number of children separated from family caregivers, the length of those separations, and the outcomes, while protecting children’s identities and privacy. Government agencies must be held accountable for decisions that cause preventable harm. 

Fifth, protect the rights and safety of educators and classified professionals who stand with their students. No school employee should face retaliation for lawfully advocating for a child, reporting safety concerns, supporting affected families, or exercising their protected rights.

Our solidarity does not end at the schoolhouse door.

Union educators in SDEA, CSEA San Diego Paraeducators Chapter 759, and CSEA San Diego OTBS Chapter 788 stand together in recognizing that the safety, dignity, and humanity of our students are inseparable from the work we do every day. 

Our members teach these children. We feed them, support them, comfort them, and help create the stability they deserve. We see what happens when fear enters a classroom and when a child is missing from their seat. 

We also recognize that educators and classified professionals cannot be expected to repair the trauma created by government decisions while those responsible remain unaccountable. 

We are three unions representing different classifications of education workers, but the children we serve are the same children. Their families are our school communities. Their safety is our shared concern. 

An injury to one is an injury to all. That includes our children. That includes their families. That includes our communities. 

We demand that federal officials in DHS and HHS act immediately to safely reunify this child with his family. We expect our elected representatives at every level to demand answers, exercise their authority, and insist on accountability. And we urge our communities to reject the normalization of family separation and the detention of children. 

We are not asking for special treatment. 

We are demanding that children be treated as children. That families be treated as families. And that the government be held accountable for the harm caused by its actions. 

Our schools must remain places of learning, belonging, and safety. Our communities must be places where families can live without the constant fear of being torn apart. 

We will not be silent while children are harmed. We will not look away because the issue is politically uncomfortable. And we will not allow immigration status to become an excuse for cruelty. 

The measure of our humanity is not how we treat the powerful. It is how we protect those who are most vulnerable. 

Children are not bargaining chips. Families are not disposable. And no child should have to suffer to satisfy a political agenda. 

Return this child to his family. Protect every child. Hold those responsible accountable.

And to everyone watching this happen, silence is a choice. So is solidarity. 

We know which side of history we intend to stand on. 

In solidarity, 

Monique Barrett
President, San Diego Education Association (SDEA)

Miguel Arellano
President, CSEA San Diego Paraeducators Chapter 759

Dawn Basques
President, CSEA San Diego OTBS Chapter 788