San Leandro High is generally considered a sanctuary school, however there are some elements of our campus that are unsafe for our overwhelmingly Latine student population that are often profiled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

A number of rules are enforced surrounding the crosswalk such as not veering off into Palma Plaza or buying from a vendor along Bancroft between the two campuses of San Leandro High including the main campus with the majority of classes and the smaller FTK school building. Noticeably there are no teachers or security guards monitoring this crosswalk every passing period. San Leandro High’s campus is considered closed; however, they do not own the crosswalk between the campuses leaving it open for civilians to cross. 

The format of the crosswalk opens opportunities for organizations like ICE to easily monitor, and unjustly detain innocent students. As Immigration Enforcement closes in closer and closer to Bay Area towns, our crosswalk only aids their efforts. 

With recent ICE Raids near schools in West Oakland over the past weeks, the possibilities of raids near our school are not unprecedented. The introduction of an ICE targeted business, Casa Latina Supermercardo, directly next to the crosswalk on Bancroft only increases the chance of immigration enforcement officers presence near San Leandro High’s campus.

Casa Latina Supermercardo, in Palma Plaza, will be opening in the coming months as a supermarket with Latin-American groceries. Latine supermarkets are prime targets for immigration enforcement, which is strongly harmful to the patrons and these stores. Not only the store, but the surrounding community of other stores and infrastructure will also be affected, including schools.

San Leandro High should place more security at this crosswalk for the safety of students and peace of mind for parents. We can see no downsides to this change apart from limited security at main entrances, which was supposed to be solved with the inclusion of new ID’s giving students access to gates without adults needing to open them. 

If there is still concern for needed security at those main gates, why should we not put forward more funding toward the safety of San Leandro High’s student body?