OAKLAND, Calif. – June 13, 2025 – Children who should be exploring tide pools and hiking trails are instead hiding indoors, too terrified to leave their homes. Military-style ICE raids are not just tearing apart immigrant families—they’re destroying the next generation of environmental leaders before they can even discover their connection to nature.
Justice Outside, a national leading environmental justice organization, today condemned the ongoing ICE raids and demanded immediate federal action to protect immigrant children’s access to environmental education and outdoor spaces.
“Every child torn from nature by immigration terror is a future environmental champion we lose,” said Kim Bailey, President and CEO of Justice Outside. “Climate justice requires environmental leaders from every community. When we deny young people of color access to nature and environmental learning, we undermine the diverse leadership our movement desperately needs. Immigration raids that terrorize families destroy this work and threaten environmental justice.”
Since June 6, ICE agents conducted military-style raids in Los Angeles, detaining dozens of community members and spreading fear throughout the city. These actions directly contradict Justice Outside’s mission to ensure every child—regardless of immigration status—can access transformative outdoor experiences and become environmental champions in their communities.
This pattern repeats nationwide. In May, ICE agents appeared at a Charlotte, North Carolina school’s drop-off line, forcing administrators to address terrified families. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) now takes security measures to prevent ICE from disrupting graduation ceremonies, turning celebrations of student achievement into occasions marked by fear.
ICE Raids Destroy Environmental Justice Access
When families live in terror, environmental justice becomes impossible. Children cannot participate in outdoor programs because families fear leaving home, environmental education becomes inaccessible to communities most impacted by environmental racism, and outdoor spaces transform from healing sanctuaries into surveillance sites.
“This terror shapes whether children feel safe in outdoor spaces during summer programming and fall school returns,” added Kim Bailey. “Los Angeles Unified School District acknowledges raids create ‘unnecessary fear, confusion, and trauma for students and families simply trying to get to and from school.'” (Source: ABC7 Los Angeles)
Justice Outside Demands:
- End raids targeting immigrant families
- Immediate reunification of separated families
- Safe passage for families accessing schools and environmental programs
- Protection of schools and educational programs as safe spaces
- Federal commitment to environmental education access regardless of documentation status
“We refuse to accept federal agents terrorizing our communities,” said Kim Bailey. “Environmental education and immigration justice are interconnected struggles for a world where all children thrive in nature and community. Environmental justice demands immigration justice.”
Support Families:
- LA Rapid Response Network: (888) 624-4752
- CHIRLA Family Legal Services: (213) 201-3797
- Immigrant Defenders Law Center: (213) 833-8283
Take Action:
- Contact representatives demanding protection of children’s educational access
- Support sanctuary policies that keep schools and outdoor programs safe: Learn about sanctuary policies
- Donate to organizations providing direct aid to affected families:
- CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights)
- National Immigrant Justice Center
- RAICES
About Justice Outside Justice Outside advances racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental movement, shifting resources to and building power with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The organization believes every person—regardless of race, identity, documentation status, or community—has the right to meaningful outdoor connections that improve quality of life, health, and wellbeing. Learn more at [website].
Media Contact: Bren Spector Director of Communications and Advocacy Justice Outside Email: bren@justiceoutside.org
