As a former educator, I am deeply troubled by reports of ICE activity occurring during school drop-off and pick-up times. Removing parents in front of their children — or their children’s classmates — is not only cruel, it is profoundly damaging.

Children do not understand immigration policy or political debate. What they understand is fear, loss and uncertainty. They see a parent taken away and are left to wonder if it could happen to them, to their friends or to their neighbors. These moments do not fade easily. They lodge themselves deep in a child’s memory, shaping how safe — or unsafe — the world feels.

The impact extends beyond the affected families. Classmates who witness these events carry that distress into the classroom. Teachers and school staff, already working under intense pressure, are forced to manage trauma they did not create and cannot resolve. This only exacerbates an already stressful profession and disrupts the learning environment for everyone.

The long-term effects of these actions on our children remain to be seen, but one thing is certain: this will not be remembered as a positive experience. Shame on us for allowing our schools — places meant to be safe, stable and nurturing — to become sites of fear.

There must be better, more humane solutions. Our children deserve nothing less.

Star Pelsue
Portland