MIAMI (WSVN) - A Miami-Dade County Public Schools teacher has been deported after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in early January, before President Donald Trump took office.
According to the United Teachers of Dade, the 24-year-old taught science at a middle school and was beloved by his community.
UTD officials told 7News the teacher had been in the United States since he was 13 years old, obtained a college degree and had no criminal record.
Back in early January, UTD officials said, the teacher went in for what he thought was a regular immigration hearing.
Instead, ICE agents took him away.
“That’s shocked me. I believe in democracy,” said a aprent who identified herself as Carla.
Friday morning, UTD President Karla Hernández-Mats addressed the matter at a news conference.
“The students, now they do not have their science teacher, and kids are thinking, ‘If that can happen to my science teacher, what does that mean about me?'”
It remains unclear which school the educator taught science classes.
In a statement, a spokesperson for M-DCPS said they will follow the law, writing:
“Miami-Dade County Public Schools complies with all federal hiring guidelines regarding work authorization. As such, all employees are authorized to work upon hire.”
Some students and parents said they do feel safe.
“I feel a lot of support from them,” said Carla.
One father, who asked not to be identified or show his face on camera, said he would like to see more from the district.
“I’m against any type of immigration officers walking into schools. It needs to be a protected environment — for the parents, for the kids. It just creates a disruptive and threatening environment,” he said.
It remains unclear whether or not the teacher who was deported was part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which temporarily shields certain undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children from deportation.
The program also allows recipients to work legally, obtain a Social Security number and acquire a driver’s license.
Thomas Kennedy with the Florida Immigration Coalition said more information needs to come to light.
“I think there are no enforcement operations in schools as of now, but again, this is someone that was supposed to be protected, so we really need to find out what happened there,” he said.
M-DCPS officials reiterated that there is no need to panic and that safety is their top priority.
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