Organizations call for more volunteers to defend students from ICE arrests.
By Phoenix Tso
08/21/2025 2:23 pm
On a muggy Wednesday morning, Leah Bachar, a member of the Community Self-Defense Coalition, walked her route around three schools in Westlake — a neighborhood at the epicenter of recent immigration raids. Her task: observe children arriving at school via bus or cars and walking into the safety of their school building.
“Once we see that the children have entered and then the gates have closed and parents have dispersed, we’re able to say, ‘Okay, at least the school day can continue for now without any issues,” Bachar said.
During the patrol, she wore a safety vest with yellow and silver stripes. The back was emblazoned with the words “¡Educación Sí! ¡Migra No!” and an illustration of a student holding onto an adult as they ride on the back of a bird carrying a pencil in its claws.
The LA Tenants Union has organized school patrols like this one in several LA neighborhoods with other grassroots organizations. Along with observing school drop-offs, patrollers are prepared to document, confirm and alert people to any federal immigration activity in the area. They also provide information on how community members can report ICE and Border Patrol sightings and resources on what to do if federal immigration agents do arrive and take people.
Eddie Cruz, an organizer with the Koreatown Rapid Response Network, said the patrols also build bridges and relationships with people. “Our goal is to act as a safety presence for community members so they can feel [free] to go out and participate in society,” he said.
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