Lion Update; ICE Implications For Yellow Buses

For decades, yellow buses of any/all fuel types have been far and away the safest form of transportation in the nation, per passenger mile. They ROCK that way; great safety regulations, very few crashes. In recent years, many ESB advocacy groups, also Tim Shannon, formerly of Twin Rivers Unified School District and now with Highland, have urged we also protect children’s health, distinct from crash safety, by replacing diesel buses with zero emissions buses. Safety, health, all good stuff. Until safety gets turned on its head.

Two days ago, on July 7th, Macarthur Park in Los Angeles, which hosts a children’s summer camp, was invaded by about 100 heavily armed federal immigration agents (Newsweek). It appeared to be a show of force designed to intimidate the public; the children were hurried indoors. Mayor Karen Bass arrived and objected. Troops eventually dispersed, but their leadership stated, “This is going to be normal very soon. We will go anywhere, anytime we want in Los Angeles.”

A July 4th report and security footage shows 10 ICE cars entered the grounds of Ruben Salazar High School in Pico Rivera, CA, adjacent to a preschool and elementary school, with ICE agents appearing to urinate in public against storage containers. El Rancho Unified School District demanded an investigation of what could be classified as lewd conduct, given the location. 

Schools and school bus zones were excluded as of January 21, 2025 from their historic protections from ICE raids. With no due process needed any longer to abduct people and federal quotas of 3,000 new detainees per day, ongoing ICE raids may mean that many parents of children, both documented and undocumented but especially children of color since they disproportionately ride the yellow bus, will keep their children home from school, to keep them safe. This would mean lowered attendance and therefore lowered school district revenues, including reduced budgets for already struggling school bus fleets. That’s above and beyond lowered life opportunities for kids who leave school, and anxiety and depression over fear of being abducted, and general unraveling of social trust and cohesion. 

I imagine you feel uncomfortable reading the above. I feel uncomfortable writing it. It’s more fun for me to focus on positive topics that can enhance a writer’s popularity (not that I have ever been popular, so far as I know). But most of us are in the yellow bus business because we care about kids; do I have that right? And we have landed in an era that’s not safe, including for children, who are highly vulnerable. What’s happening is new and unexpected to us, though it’s not new in the history of the world (there have been many authoritarian governments). How do we protect our institutions of public education and the yellow buses that give access to them? I hope some of you can help me here. Hit reply to share your thoughts and comments.

I look forward to seeing many of you in a few days at the STN Green Bus Summit in Reno, though some of you have told me that district budget cuts mean you can’t attend this time. I’m sorry about that, and l’ll miss you.