Calif. school official says child deportations would help overcrowding

"The more illegal aliens with children are deported from Ramona, the better the student-to-teacher ratio. Better or lower student-to-teacher ratios are also what teacher unions advocate for. I remember public comments at the February board meeting calling for exactly that: lower student-to-teacher ratio."

"With an estimated population of immigrants without legal status north of 150,000, San Diego County has been hit particularly hard by ongoing immigration enforcement efforts statewide. Recent records show that the detention of children in particular rose dramatically in 2025 from the previous year, jumping to more than 250 children in San Diego and Imperial counties who were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement."

During a Ramona Unified School District board meeting, board member Maya Phillips stated that deporting children without legal status would benefit the district by reducing overcrowding and improving student-to-teacher ratios. Phillips connected this position to teacher union advocacy for lower ratios and suggested the loss of undocumented families would enhance education quality for American and legal immigrant children. Her comments occurred in a public forum with students and residents present but received no immediate response. San Diego County, with an estimated undocumented population exceeding 150,000, has experienced increased immigration enforcement, with child detention by ICE rising significantly in 2025.

Read at SFGATE