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San Jose school expects surge in new immigrants after border restrictions relaxed
A change in immigration policy at the southern border is expected to quickly have an impact on a South Bay school that caters to the immigrant community.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A change in immigration policy at the southern border is expected to quickly have an impact on a South Bay school that caters to the immigrant community.
Leaders at Escuela Popular, which serves about 1,100 mainly immigrant students in East San Jose, are calling for additional resources from both local and state governments to help them meet the demand.
Student Leisar Garcia arrived in San Jose from Guatemala when he was 17-years old.
When he first enrolled in Escuela Popular he said this about his English-language skills, "I couldn’t say hi or the number one."
Garcia said the school has changed his life.
"Escuela Popular helped me to learn the language first of all, the Escuela Popular is almost home. It is my second home because we are all immigrants from Latin America," he said.
The school serves 1,100 students, with English-learners making up nearly 80% of the elementary and high school age students. It is the first stop for many, who newly arrived, with a current wait list of about 500 people. But with the federal government lifting a COVID-era policy — Title 42 — the school is expecting even more demand.
Title 42 was lifted on May 11.
"We constantly see new students and new families arriving. There is going to be an increased influx, and we would like to be prepared," said Patricia Reguerin, executive director of Escuela Popular.
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Title 42 immigration law expires
Border Patrol says Tuesday alone, more than 11,000 migrants have crossed and the number is expected to grow.
The exact timeline of the impact on the expiration of Title 42 is not yet known at this time. The school accepts students on a rolling 45-day basis to accommodate newly arriving immigrants, but the wait list is only expected to grow.
"We always enroll about 150 to 200 students every nine and a half weeks which is our capacity and then we put them on a waitlist, and it is a continuous cycle," Reguerin said.
Title 42 allowed border authorities to quickly expel migrants on the grounds that their entry could contribute to the spread of COVID. Now, migrants who reach U.S. soil can apply under regular immigration laws and can often stay in the country until court hearings.
San Jose Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who represents the district where the school is located, is urging action.
"Together we must urge Governor Newsom to secure federal funding that will support newly arrived families in order for them to get stabilized as they arrive to our county," Ortiz said.
As for Leisar Garcia he says he plans to finish his final year of high school here and then apply to college.