ICE Raids Are Affecting Children—And What Youth Programs Can Do?

Source: Ian Kapsalis/The Express

We queried Google AI to learn more about how youth programs can protect youth while the threat of ICE raids is possible. Below are the responses:

How Youth Programs Can Protect Students

• Enact "Safe Haven" Policies: Establish clear protocols that prohibit staff from sharing student information or allowing ICE agents into non-public areas without a judicial warrant.
• Implement Trauma-Informed Care: Train all staff to recognize trauma responses and prioritize emotional safety. Shift from punitive discipline to supportive interventions that address the root causes of behavioral changes.
• Support Family Preparedness: Help families create emergency plans, such as Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavits, which designate temporary guardians if parents are detained.
• Provide Mental Health Resources: Partner with community organizations to offer culturally responsive counseling and support groups that help youth process community-wide trauma.
• Facilitate Safe Travel: Organize community carpools or "walking buses" to ensure students can travel to and from programs without fear of encountering enforcement. 

Below is a checklist for staff training on how to respond if immigration officials arrive at your facility, provided by Google AI. Please note that your school, district or program provider agency may already have a protocol should ICE agents conduct a raid. It is important that you consult for prior checklists and ensure that you disregard any of the checklists below if you think this list is contrary to existing policy or if you think any of these actions would be unsafe for your staff.

Training staff for potential visits from immigration officials (such as ICE) focuses on maintaining calm, verifying legal authority, and following a pre-set communication chain. 

1. Preparation (Before a Visit)

• Designate a Point Person: Assign a primary and alternate representative (e.g., HR Director or Manager) as the only staff authorized to interact with officials.
• Create a "Cheat Sheet": Provide reception and front-line staff with a step-by-step response guide, including emergency contact numbers for legal counsel. 
• Distribute "Know Your Rights" Notices: As of February 1, 2026, certain jurisdictions (like California under SB 294) require employers to provide written notices to all employees regarding their rights during immigration inspections.
• Emergency Contacts: By March 30, 2026, ensure employees have the opportunity to designate an emergency contact specifically for workplace arrests or detentions. 

2. Front-Line Staff Protocol (Upon Arrival) 

• Stay Calm: Instruct staff to remain professional and avoid sudden movements or running, which officials may interpret as "articulable suspicion".
• Verify Identity: Politely ask for the official’s business card and government-issued photo ID.
• Identify Public vs. Private Areas: Train staff that officials may enter public areas (lobbies) but need a judicial warrant (signed by a judge, not just an agency official) to enter private workspaces.
• Direct to Management: Staff should state: "I do not have authority to grant access. Please wait while I contact my employer".  

3. Management & Legal Protocol

• Review the Warrant: Check that any presented warrant is signed by a judge/magistrate and correctly identifies your facility's address.
• Do Not Consent: If no judicial warrant is present, managers should politely but clearly state that they do not consent to a search of non-public areas.
• Avoid Obstruction: Staff must not hide employees, destroy documents, or provide false information, as these actions can lead to criminal charges.
• Document the Visit: Assign a staff member to record agent badge numbers, names, and all actions taken. If permitted by local law, video or photo documentation is recommended. 

4. Post-Visit Actions

• Request Receipts: Obtain an itemized receipt for any property or records removed from the facility.
• Notify Contacts: If an employee is detained, immediately notify their designated emergency contact and legal counsel.
• Debrief: Record a factual account of the encounter while details are fresh to assist legal counsel. (If it is safe, we recommend that somebody video the encounter.)   

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Because the threat of deportation has existed for a few years, we have written other resources to assist afterschool programs with this. Below is a listing of some of the resources we have developed:

Learning in Afterschool & Summer Blogs:

• ICE Raids at Schools
• Deportation: Things Immigrant Families Can Do Now to Protect Loved Ones
• Collateral Damage: New Immigration Policies and Education in California
• Practitioners Speak Out: Serving the Needs of Immigrant Youth
• Supporting Immigrant Families
• How California Schools Can Support Students, Families Fearing ICE Raids
• Immigration and Afterschool

Briefing Papers:

• Countering the Threat of Deportation