United Teachers of New Orleans condemns the racist, nativist attacks on hard-working communities across the country. Instead of celebrating our differences and respecting the dignity of our families, neighbors, and coworkers, our elected officials are tearing us apart by wasting public resources to meet made-up deportation quotas.
As educators, we know that operations like this are also part of an ongoing attack on school safety. Every student and every educator and school staff member has the right to feel safe at school, regardless of their race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin. We are ashamed and angry that this is being done in the name of our own government, which should be by us and for us, not against us.
We call on educators, school staff, families, and students to work together to keep each other safe, as communities in other targeted cities have done. As unionists, we know that the only way we overcome struggle is together.
