The Analysis on Los Angeles based School Absentee Reports

Across the 14 schools located near the two June 2025 ICE activity sites, excused absences generally rose, with several campuses experiencing substantial spikes. The most dramatic increases occurred at Charles White Elementary (+273%) and Harold McAlister High (+189%), indicating notable shifts in how families reported absences following intensified immigration enforcement. Other schools saw more moderate increases (approximately 15–50%), while a few recorded declines. The sharp drop at Da Vinci RISE High (-97.6%) is likely attributable to very small baseline counts rather than a meaningful reduction in excused absences.

Figure 7: Map Los Angeles Schools near the June 2025 ICE Raids & Activity

Figure 7: Map of K–12 schools located near the June 2025 ICE raids at the Home Depot and Fashion District’s Ambiance Apparel worksite, illustrating the close geographic proximity between enforcement locations and surrounding school communities.

Overall, excused absences increased at 10 of the 14 schools, reinforcing the earlier finding that heightened immigration enforcement can prompt families to formally report absences at higher rates to avoid unexcused marks. Yet these increases should not be interpreted as benign; excused absences are still absences, and they carry meaningful consequences. Prior research shows that when children face ongoing fear, instability, or the threat of family separation, their learning is disrupted in ways that extend far beyond attendance figures. Persistent stress linked to immigration enforcement is associated with poorer academic performance, elevated absenteeism, and declines in socio-emotional well-being. Such chronic stress can impair concentration, sleep, and daily functioning, factors that place already vulnerable students at heightened risk of disengagement and academic decline (Heinrich, Hernández, & Shero, 2023, pp. 353–354).

Figure 8: Table of Percent Change in Excused Absences

Figure 8: Percent change in excused absences from 2023–24 to 2024–25 across schools near the enforcement sites, showing substantial increases at several campuses, most notably Charles White Elementary (+272.7%) and Harold McAlister High (+189.1%), indicating potential fear-based attendance shifts following the 2025 ICE raids.

It is also important to situate these patterns within the structure of the available data. The 2024–25 absenteeism report spans July 1, 2024 through July 30, 2025, meaning the June 2025 enforcement surge falls squarely within the reporting window. Although monthly attendance figures are not available to align specific absences directly with the timing of the raids, the year-to-year comparison still shows clear increases in excused absences at multiple schools relative to 2023–24. This strengthens the interpretation that the elevated absence levels were recorded during the same period in which heightened enforcement activity occurred.