Only 763 of more than 12,000 vendors have responded, while 11 companies reported engagements related to ICE activities, including two with current LAUSD contracts.
Nearly 99% of Los Angeles Unified School District vendors surveyed so far say they do not support immigration detention, surveillance, or enforcement activities carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a district presentation.
But the survey also identified 11 vendors that self-reported engagements related to ICE activities, including two that currently have contracts with LAUSD.
Of the 763 vendors that have responded, 98.7% said they do not support ICE-related detention, surveillance, or enforcement.
The survey, however, remains far from complete.
LAUSD is still awaiting responses from 11,237 vendors, meaning the district has heard from only a small portion of its overall vendor pool. The results therefore represent the views of responding vendors rather than the district’s entire contracting network.
The findings come months after the LAUSD Board of Education approved a resolution directing the district to avoid contracting with companies that support current immigration enforcement activities, detention and surveillance.
The March resolution called for vendors to disclose business relationships involving civil immigration enforcement, detention and surveillance as the district reviews its contracts.
The district’s effort comes as immigration enforcement has become an increasingly visible concern for families across Los Angeles. LAUSD has emphasized that schools are places where students should be able to learn without fear, particularly as immigrant families navigate increased federal immigration enforcement activity in the region.
The district has also sought to guide schools and families about what to do if immigration enforcement agents appear on or near school campuses. That broader effort has made the role of outside companies and contractors connected to immigration enforcement an important part of the district’s review.
The latest presentation was scheduled for discussion during Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, but the item was postponed.
The district’s survey is part of a broader effort to determine whether companies doing business with LAUSD have relationships with federal immigration enforcement agencies.
For now, the numbers show a striking contrast. Among vendors that have responded, an overwhelming majority report no support for ICE-related activities. At the same time, 11 vendors have acknowledged relevant engagements, including two with active LAUSD contracts.
The identities and nature of the engagements reported by those 11 vendors could become an important part of the district’s review, particularly for the two companies that currently do business with LAUSD.
With more than 11,000 vendors still to respond, the district’s review is expected to provide a much broader picture once additional responses are received.
