Right now, in Los Angeles, families are living in fear as ICE conducts raids across neighborhoods.
Immigration agents are showing up unannounced, detaining people who have lived and worked here for years, separating them from their children and communities. These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a larger system that criminalizes migration and targets people based on race, class, and immigration status.
All of this while your children are watching.
They are watching families disappear overnight. They are hearing fear in their neighbors' voices. They are seeing how power is used and misused. They are watching to see how you react.
If you are a parent in Los Angeles or anywhere else, your child may have questions.
They may have classmates who are undocumented or who live in mixed-status families. They may hear something on the news or from a friend that confuses or scares them.
These conversations may be uncomfortable. But avoiding them only teaches children that injustice is something to ignore. We cannot shield them from the world, but we can give them the tools to face it.
When parents stay silent about race, the world fills in the gaps. And the world is not neutral.
Antiracist parenting begins with honesty. It means naming that race shapes people's experiences. It means preparing our children to see unfairness and to respond to it with compassion and clarity.
If you or someone you know is in need of support or resources; begin with some of the information listed below:
Directory of Local Immigration Legal Aid (CLINIC): https://www.cliniclegal.org/find- legal-help/affiliates/directory
National Immigration Detention Hotline - Freedom for Immigrants: 209-757-3733
Immigrants Rising - Wellness Support: https://immigrantsrising.org/ment al-health/
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