Quick Take
Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County’s superintendent of schools, fled Iraq at age 9 and is worried about the growing authoritarian tactics he sees in the U.S. He draws chilling parallels between his life under Saddam Hussein and current government immigration crackdowns. Children, he writes, are living in fear, can’t focus on learning and will carry this trauma into their lives as adults. Fearful of deportation, families are not attending milestone graduations and are avoiding services such as food distributions. He urges us to protect democratic values and offers a list of services to help those affected or concerned.
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I grew up in Iraq under the totalitarian regime of Saddam Hussein. He portrayed himself as a military strongman, his power reinforced by parades, propaganda and heavily armed soldiers policing every corner.
We lived in fear. Speaking up could mean arrest, torture or even death.
Obedience was compulsory. Silence was survival.
Shortly before my family fled, my father was arrested without any apparent cause. Fortunately, after a few days of interrogation, he was released.
My family was lucky. We were able to flee Iraq and come to the United States in 1981, when I was 9 years old, drawn — like so many immigrants — by a promise: a nation born from resistance to injustice, where due process is upheld, where checks and balances restrain power, and where people can speak freely and protest without fear.
Never did I imagine I would see echoes of these same authoritarian tactics employed by the U.S. government.
Unidentifiable, masked agents conducting sweeps and pulling neighbors out of their cars. Public service announcements to report our neighbors to federal authorities to “help your country.” Lines of uniformed military personnel facing off against protesters. A U.S. senator forced to the ground and placed in handcuffs for daring to question a federal official. Tanks parading through the streets of our nation’s capital in a thinly veiled celebration of the president’s birthday. Threats that any protesters would be met with “heavy force.”
These are tactics of power, fear, and intimidation — tactics that are all too familiar to those of us who have fled authoritarian regimes.
New tactics of fear are being implemented on a near-daily basis. On Friday, we learned that the Trump administration provided immigration enforcement authorities with personal data, including immigration status, on millions of Medicaid enrollees. These cynical actions are sowing fear and mistrust in the very institutions meant to protect and uplift our most vulnerable communities.
Intimidation is the point. And as much as I regret to say it, their tactics are having their intended effect. Immigrant families on the Central Coast — particularly those who are mixed-status or without documentation — have been living in a heightened state of anxiety for months.
Last week, this was amplified to near panic.
Families in our community and across our state are skipping graduations and staying home from work out of fear they could be caught in immigration raids. Families are avoiding accessing services and resources they need — including food. Local partners are reporting that food distributions this past week are seeing attendance drop by as much as 75%.
While those who defend these actions have argued they are targeted at violent criminals, we now know this to be a lie. Agents are conducting raids at Home Depot parking lots, construction sites and businesses without warrants or any apparent criteria besides stereotyping and racial profiling — fueled by a draconian quota imposed by the White House to arrest 3,000 people every day.
Through it all, our children are watching.
As an educator, I have worked for decades to ensure schools are places of safety and belonging for students of all identities. Schools are working in partnership with nonprofits and our state and local agencies to preserve and protect these spaces of safety.
Under local policies and California law, schools do not cooperate with immigration authorities. We do not collect immigration status from families, and train our staff to not permit immigration enforcement on campuses without a valid judicial warrant.
Santa Cruz County stands united in support of our immigrant families, as affirmed in a Nov. 7, 2024, letter signed by more than 50 elected officials and school, district and community leaders. Last week, that commitment was underscored by resolutions adopted by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, the Watsonville City Council and the Santa Cruz County Board of Education, which also condemn the militarization of enforcement efforts against both protesters and immigrant communities.
Likewise, I am heartened by the leadership displayed this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta in drawing red lines and taking the Trump administration to court over its apparently illegal overreach. Unlike in Iraq in 1981, in this country we enjoy — and must fight to protect — a system of checks and balances and judicial oversight.
At the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, we are continuing to partner with districts and work as part of the Santa Cruz County Immigration Coalition. We support and encourage use of the following resources:
- Sus Derechos: A regional, Spanish-first online hub providing guidance and resources to immigrant families created by the Santa Cruz COE and our partners, accessible at susderechos.info.
- Child care safety plans: Critical tools for undocumented or mixed-status families to ensure a plan is in place in advance of any potential separation. Access a plan template here.
- Family financial plan: A new resource provided by nonprofit Ventures to organize accounts and plan for accessing financial information in cases of family separation and other emergencies. Access the plan template here.
- Know Your Rights trainings: We offer Know Your Rights training to help families prepare for potential interactions with immigration authorities, working with Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Cradle to Career and other partners. Request a training here.
- Red Cards: Wallet-sized cards that help individuals understand and assert their rights during encounters with immigration officials. Red Cards are available for pickup at the COE office at 400 Encinal St in Santa Cruz. Nonprofit organizations may also request cards to distribute through this form.
- Your Allied Rapid Response: Call 831-239-4289 to contact the 24/7, volunteer-operated hotline to report suspected immigration activity and access resources. Find out more at santacruzrapidresponse.org.
Despite these supports, and the tireless efforts of so many local partners, we know that children are being actively traumatized by the actions of this administration. Every child in a mixed-status household separated from a parent or close relative is experiencing trauma that will last a lifetime.
Or worse.
In February, an 11-year-old girl in Texas tragically took her own life after bullies threatened to report her family to immigration authorities. Across the country, students are arriving at school carrying the invisible weight of fear, grief and uncertainty. For some, it’s the anxiety of a parent not returning home. For others, it’s the chronic stress of navigating a world that sees them or their families as threats — labeling them as “invaders.”
These traumas enter the classroom with our students, shaping their ability to learn, to trust and to thrive.
We teach our students about democracy in our classrooms. They are now learning about authoritarianism in our streets.
What lesson will they learn from how we respond?
Dr. Faris Sabbah serves as the Santa Cruz County superintendent of schools. Born in Iraq to a Palestinian father and an Ecuadorian mother, he has more than 30 years of experience in public education and is deeply committed to serving the whole child, disrupting inequitable practices and elevating student voice.