San Diego sheriff's deputies arrested 150 students who walked out of school in Imperial Beach today. They rallied against proposed federal immigration reform legislation. San Diego police also arrested 17 students in the South Bay. Meanwhile, education and police officials implored students to stay in school. KPBS Reporter Amita Sharma has more.
San Diego City Schools Deputy Superintendent Geno Flores said officials will start handing out truancy citations to students who leave campus to participate in the protests.
Flores: "Exercising their rights. We all support that. We suggest before school, after school, lunch-time rallies. All of that is permissible.
Flores said teachers are using the national debate over illegal immigration as the basis of classroom lessons. He also urged parents to talk to their children about the importance of avoiding protests during school hours.
Police officials are worried that Cesar Chavez day could raise the emotional tenor of protests and put student safety in jeopardy. Already, tensions have been raised among students from rival schools and there has been at least one report of rock throwing at one of the protests.
Amita Sharma, KPBS News.
