HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — Para leer este artículo en inglés, haga clic aquí.
Fear and misinformation are spreading throughout the Hispanic community as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues deporting undocumented immigrants.
Some of that fear is spilling into South Carolina classrooms.
After his inauguration, President Donald Trump reversed a policy restricting federal agents from making arrests at churches, hospitals, and schools.
The change has left some families wondering if sending their children to school will result in deportation.
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The Supreme Court case Plyer vs Doe prevents schools from inquiring about the legal presence of a student, parent, guardian or family member, or denying students an education based on immigration status.
The Hispanic Alliance, a South Carolina non-profit, is trying to aid the Latino community amongst confusion.
The Alliance has been holding town halls in the upstate connecting attending Latinos to accurate information and answering questions about sending kids to school.
“The answer is yes, send your kid to school,” Andrew Skinner, the director of public relations and development for the Hispanic Alliance, said. “If they do not show up to school, then you could be considered truant and other criminal charges could follow. The legal team at the Hispanic Alliance is encouraging all members of the community to make sure their kids stay in school.”
Some Horry County teachers say they have seen a dip in attendance amongst Hispanic students in their classrooms.
Horry County Schools issued a statement saying “While we do not track specific data on student absences related to these issues, we have observed some minor fluctuations in attendance.”
However, Skinner said that for many Latinos, the fear of running into an ICE agent does not stop in the classroom.
He said people are afraid of going to work or even the grocery store. Skinner offered advice for those with fears.
“Obey the laws, obey the laws of traffic on the road, don’t do anything to break the law to put yourself or your family in danger but please go to work: earn a living. We’ve got to be able to put food on the table,” Skinner said.
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Skinner added that the Hispanic Alliance is looking to expand their town hall meetings throughout all of South Carolina.
In a recent statement, Horry County Schools said it “will comply with local, state, and federal law.”
Comply does not mean they are working directly with those agencies, but that they will adhere to their requests and orders.
For those interested in their guidance, the Hispanic Alliance has a bilingual phone line at 864 – 256 – 0760.
Operators said they would connect Hispanic community members with resources available in their area.
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