ICE Raids Keep Disabled Children Trapped at Home This Summer — Safety at Risk

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are ramping up raids across Los Angeles. The fear across the immigrant community is contributing to reduced registrations at the Special Needs Network summer camp. Parents are choosing to keep their children indoors to ensure their safety and avoid detention in ICE camps.

Highlights

• ICE raids spark fear in the LA immigrant community, halting summer Special Needs Network camp registrations.
• Parents are now compelled to choose between community and special needs care and the risk of detention.
• Special Needs Network has requested a moratorium on ICE raids.

Registrations for Special Needs Network Summer Camp Come To a Halt Due to Fear of Arrests

On July 8, 2025, Special Needs Network, a nonprofit that supports children with autism and developmental disabilities in underserved communities, put out a statement by Areva Martin, Esq. President & CEO discussing a troubling shift in registrations for their free summer camps. The camp has always been a vital resource for families across the city. But the ICE raids have made parents wary, prompting them to halt registration.

The statement reads, “Two-thirds of our families have not completed registration. Not because they don’t want these opportunities for their children, but because these cruel immigration policies have made them too afraid to walk out their door.”

Parents of disabled kids already navigate multiple challenges, in addition to juggling various jobs, systemic inequities, and sometimes, language barriers. The raids have added an extra layer of inconvenience as they battle the possibility of detention and family separation.

The statement goes on to read, “At Special Needs Network, we see every day how critical these summer programs are. They provide therapies that children might otherwise lose over the summer months, opportunities for socialization that help prevent regression, and respite for parents who are working tirelessly to keep their families afloat. These programs are not luxuries—they are lifelines.”

The team at Special Need Network has urged policymakers to bring an end to these enforcement tactics by considering their impact on vulnerable children. They have requested a moratorium on the ICE raids in the area for families seeking care for their disabled children. Despite the continued immigration raids, Special Need Network continues to advocate for disability rights and their intrinsic nature to racial justice and civil rights.