COLUMBUS, OH – Following a surge of federal immigration enforcement activity in the city of Columbus during the holiday period, as well as violent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity near schools in Minneapolis culminating with the tragic murder of Renee Good, the Columbus Education Association (CEA) today condemned in the strongest possible terms the ongoing occupation of American Cites by ICE and other federal agencies.
“Let’s be clear, unidentified masked federal agents with assault rifles grabbing our neighbors off the street based on nothing more than the color of their skin or their accent flies in the face of the American values we teach and makes our schools and cities less safe” said John Coneglio, CEA President. “As educators, our priorities are the safety of our students and providing a world-class education regardless of nationality or immigration status. The current federal campaign of fear and terror makes our jobs far more difficult.”
As founding members of the Columbus Education Justice Coalition (CEJC), CEA is working daily with community allies to ensure the safety of students within Columbus City Schools and surrounding areas. Some schools have already reported significant drops in attendance due to fear of ICE activity. CEA encourages all Columbus residents to reach out to CEJC and get involved with efforts to maintain the safety of our local schools and neighborhoods.
The Columbus Education Association is the Union representing over 4,500 teachers, librarians, nurses, counselors, psychologists, and other education professionals in Columbus City Schools. The Columbus Education Association is a proud affiliate of the Ohio Education Association and the National Education Association.
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