Los Angeles public school teachers are using their personal time to patrol neighborhoods around schools, searching for federal immigration agents and warning illegal immigrants to help them evade law enforcement. The taxpayer-funded educators claim they’re keeping students safe, but critics question why teachers are actively working to undermine federal immigration enforcement.

Teachers Hunt Federal Agents Near Schools

Lupe Carrasco Cardona, an ethics teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District, leads patrols for the activist group Union del Barrio. She took CBS cameras on a ride-along near the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center in downtown Los Angeles, where she and fellow educators searched for Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles. The group looks for cars with tinted windows or double-parked vehicles, responding to tips from community members about possible federal activity in the area.

During the filmed patrol, Cardona spotted a Ford Explorer and instructed her colleague to photograph it. The vehicle turned out to belong to a regular citizen, not ICE agents. Despite finding no federal agents during the ride-along, Cardona insisted the patrols serve an important purpose by alerting the community to law enforcement presence.

Union Officials Praise The Effort

Jon Paul Arciniega, chapter chair for United Teachers Los Angeles, defended the patrol activities outside school gates. He called it beautiful to witness teachers devoting personal time to watching neighborhoods and ensuring safety. Arciniega claimed the patrols benefit students and families by showing teachers care about them. Cardona maintained that her group does not engage with or intercept ICE agents, only reports their presence to community members who allegedly plan their daily activities around these alerts.

Backlash Over Taxpayer-Funded Activism

Social media erupted with criticism over the patrols. Conservative commentators questioned why taxpayer-funded educators would help illegal immigrants evade federal law enforcement. Critics pointed out that if teachers have time for these patrols, perhaps they should focus on actual crime affecting neighborhoods. The controversy comes as LAUSD faces severe financial trouble. The nation’s second-largest school district could run out of money by 2027, with cuts and layoffs looming. LA County’s education superintendent issued a rare warning in July that the district may not meet its financial obligations during the 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years.