Surveys: Principals, parents report anxiety among immigrant students

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Immigration raids and political rhetoric about immigrants are disrupting many students’ lives, impacting their mental health and their school attendance, from kindergarten to high school, according to recent surveys.

More than two-thirds of high school principals surveyed nationwide by the UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access this summer said that students from immigrant families “expressed concerns about their well-being or the well-being of their families due to policies or political rhetoric related to immigrants.” One principal in California reported that students were worried when they went to school, “Is it gonna be the last time we see our parents?”

More than one-third of principals reported bullying or harassment of students from immigrant families, reporting comments such as, “Can I see your papers?” or “Go back home.”

In a separate survey conducted by the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE), California parents or guardians with cultural or family roots in Latin America and children in transitional kindergarten or kindergarten in 2024-25, also described stress and trauma because of immigration enforcement, sharing that children were afraid to attend school, anxious about family separation, or increasingly sad.

One parent surveyed by PIQE, identified as Belinda, from Los Angeles, said, “I have residency, right? But honestly, I was seeing all of that happening. My kids didn’t miss school because of it, but I tried to make sure they didn’t go out to the street at all, because I was scared that they might get frightened, more than anything. And I would think, well, imagine — if I’m scared and I have legal status, I can only imagine how people without papers must feel.”

Almost two-thirds of principals surveyed also reported that students from immigrant families had “missed school due to policies or political rhetoric related to immigrants.” However, it is unclear how many students or how many days were missed. 

About 11% of the parents and guardians surveyed by PIQE said they had kept their children home from school at least one day because of concerns about immigration enforcement. 

At the same time, both principals and parents and guardians reported that many families are making decisions to continue sending their children to school or attending school events, despite their fears. 

One mother, identified as Teresa, in Los Angeles, is quoted in the PIQE survey as saying, “For me personally, it’s about the future of my children. Their future. I believe this country offers many benefits — a lot of education, really — and I am grateful for that. That’s the reality. In our home country, it might be possible, but it’s a bit more difficult to provide an education for our children.”