Immigration enforcement is ramping up again in northern Illinois.
The Illinois Head Start Association recently released a report sharing anonymous community stories about how Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, activity has affected children at Head Start centers.
WNIJ education reporter Peter Medlin sat down with Illinois Head Start Executive Director Lauri Morrison-Frichtl to discuss the report.
(This interview has been edited for clarity.)
Peter Medlin (PM): What made you want to share these stories in this way?
Lauri Morrison-Frichtl (LMF): Well, as you know, last fall and earlier this year, ICE was all over our Head Start communities, especially in the Chicagoland areas and several other areas across the state.
Every day I heard from directors who were crying and saying, "This is awful. This is terrible. Our families and children are experiencing all of this." At that point, I said, "We have to do something." This is part of our history. This is happening to children and families across the state. We decided we needed to start collecting these stories so they aren't forgotten.
(PM): Over the past year, how has the increased immigration enforcement affected the children in your care, both emotionally and in their ability to learn?
(LMF): The experience of having immigration officials on our streets wearing masks, carrying guns, deploying tear gas and blowing whistles is traumatizing for children.
We couldn't take children out to the playground, for example, because of concerns about ICE activity and tear gas. Children worried they would be taken away. Even during classroom role-playing, they acted out their trauma. They would say, "If you're not good, ICE is going to come and get you." Those are the kinds of stories we're hearing. We know what trauma does to children's ability to learn.
(PM): Can you read one of the stories from one of the kids you featured in your community stories?
(LMF): I sure can.
Sophia's older cousin was detained during an early-morning enforcement action. Since then, Sophia, one of our Head Start children, sleeps with her backpack packed with clothes and her favorite stuffed animal. Her grandmother says she's afraid of being taken away suddenly and wants to be ready.
Teachers say she's having nightmares. She's regressed in potty training and has separation anxiety that didn't exist before.
We also have children who fear their parent has been detained by ICE if they're even five or 10 minutes late picking them up.
Can you imagine that? They have extreme behaviors and meltdown anxiety because of that. The parent will show up to pick them up, but it's already baked into their memory.
(PM): Can you talk about how it's impacted your staff and the day-to-day operations of your centers? Obviously, it's much harder to teach children if they or their teachers are anxious or afraid. You've had parents and classroom assistants afraid to leave home, staff turnover and more student absences.
(LMF): Right. We've had to make accommodations for our workforce. Of course, a lot of our staff live in mixed-status families. They're worried about their own family. We've had staff request schedule adjustments because ICE was outside the building.
We don't keep children's records at the front of the office. They're stored farther inside the building so they aren't readily accessible if ICE enters a private facility.
We've hired security guards to help staff and families during arrival and dismissal. Attendance has declined during periods of increased enforcement activity. We've also delivered food, toiletries, diapers and other necessities to families who were afraid to leave their homes.
(PM): Just over the past couple weeks, ICE activity in Illinois has increased again. Are you seeing that renewed anxiety at your centers?
(LMF): Yes. We've had several directors contact me to say, "ICE is in our parking lot."
We're better prepared this time because we've experienced this before. Centers have put communication systems in place with community partners so they can alert and support one another.
(PM): In early childhood education, you focus on building a strong foundation for children academically and emotionally. You've had to change procedures and adapt in real time. Have you thought about the long-term effects this could have on children?
(LMF): Yes. One of our primary goals is preparing children and families for kindergarten. When they enter the K-12 system, they're going to carry this trauma with them. Our goal is to begin helping children and families process that trauma, but it's extremely difficult while these events are still happening in their communities.
Children are perceptive. They know what's happening. From a child's perspective, it can feel like living in a war zone. They see people carrying guns, wearing masks and witnessing frightening situations. We expect the level of emotional support these children need now, and will continue to need, to be tremendous.
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
