Two New York City high school students — one from ELLIS (English Language Learners and International Support) Preparatory Academy in the Bronx and the other from Grover Cleveland HS in Queens — have been detained by federal immigration enforcement agents following what should have been routine immigration hearings.

Although these arrests did not take place on school property, they have nonetheless been deeply felt in our school communities. Immigration and the threat of deportation is an educational issue. As educators, we are committed to protecting our students from any harm. We know that students cannot learn unless they feel safe. The level of absenteeism among newly arrived students is already high. These two arrests will no doubt prompt more families to keep their children home.

In the first case, where more details have been publicly released, the Bronx high school student was detained after appearing at a check-in hearing on May 21 and thrust into fast-track deportation proceedings with few legal protections. The young man was doing everything right after arriving from Venezuela to join his mother and younger siblings. He enrolled at ELLIS Prep, obtained a work permit and applied for temporary protected status. He worked part time to support his family. The UFT and community groups rallied outside DOE headquarters on May 29 to demand his release.

We teach our students that people who play by the rules are treated fairly in this country. Now the Trump administration is punishing immigrants who are following the rules. We will continue to speak out on behalf of any student of ours who gets caught up in this unjust dragnet.