This story was updated to include a statement from West Salem High School Principal Carlos Ruiz. High school students in Salem are asking local leaders to make clear their support for immigrant classmates amid what they described as a growing atmosphere of fear in classrooms across the city. J olee McMahan, a student adviser to the Salem-Keizer School Board, spoke toward the end of a Tuesday, Feb. 10, board meeting about the climate at South Salem High School, where she’s a junior. “For a growing number of students, the ability to be fully present in the classroom is being hindered by preoccupation and worry they feel related to ICE, and some students are beginning to go to school less because of their fear of what could happen to their family when they are at school. Some are scared of being separated from loved ones and not having the ability for a direct form of communication with their families during the school day,” McMahan told the school board, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She urged the school board to support a proposal in the state Legislature that would require schools to notify families if immigration agents appear on campus. HB 4079 is part of a package of bills from Democrats in the Legislature addressing the impacts of an aggressive immigration crackdown by the federal government. McMahan said some students are feeling “a sense of hopelessness.” “Students need to know that teachers, staff and district leaders understand what they are feeling and experiencing and that they are willing to provide students and their families with visible support,” McMahan said. State Rep. Tom Andersen, D-Salem, is among the bill’s chief sponsors. The Oregon School Boards Association has supported the measure.  Aaron Harada, spokesman for the Salem-Keizer School District, said district leaders support the intent of the bill and already have a practice of notifying families anytime law enforcement operations impact schools. There have been no confirmed instances of immigration agents on the district’s campuses this school year, he said. “Our schools must remain safe and welcoming places where our students can learn and grow without fear for themselves and their family members,” he said in a statement. The district has a policy of not allowing immigration officers inside school buildings. McMahan’s call comes as a group of West Salem High School students are planning a walkout Friday, Feb. 13, at 2 p.m. to protest ICE and “their inhumane treatment of immigrants,” a student announcement said. “Our goal is to raise awareness about the injustices faced by immigrants in our country. We believe that immigrants deserve to have both their human and Constitutional rights honored and protected, and we want to ensure that our voices are heard by the adults and decision-makers around us,” the announcement said. South held a similar walkout several weeks ago, McMahan said, drawing a few dozen students. “With ICE already doing things like throwing people out of their cars here in our town, it’s incredibly concerning and worrying of what they might do to our friends, our loved ones, our neighbors, and kids we’ve known since childhood. School should be a safe place of learning, not a battleground driven by racism and hatred,” said Sam Williams, a sophomore who’s participating, in an email. Williams said she’s heard from peers who are scared of being deported or having relatives deported. One friend’s uncle was detained by immigration authorities for weeks, leaving his family without financial support. “They had to sell their food truck, which was their source of income, to get him out,” she said. “Stories like these are not uncommon anymore within our community, and I’m scared that my friends will be taken from me.” Harada said students who leave campus for the walkout and don’t return to class would receive an unexcused absence. Carlos Ruiz, principal of West, said in a message Thursday to families that the school had received concerns about unconfirmed threats over the walkout. “Because we take all reports of safety seriously, we have immediately engaged our district’s safety and security team as well as law enforcement to investigate the concerns. At this point, there is no information indicating an imminent threat against our school or the potential protest. However, out of an abundance of caution, we do plan to have heightened security measures in place,” he wrote. He said students are allowed to exercise their free speech rights and that school employees are not organizing the event. School employees and security work to keep students safe on campus, but can’t monitor or supervise students during a non-school event off campus. Correction: This article was updated to correct the day of the planned walkout. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error. Contact Managing Editor Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241. LOCAL NEWS DELIVERED TO YOU: Subscribe to Salem Reporter and get all the fact-based Salem news that matters to you. Fair, accurate, trusted – SUBSCRIBE The post Salem high schoolers plan walkout, urge support for immigrant students appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less