This article was first published by the nonprofit newsroom LA Public Press on August 21, 2025 and is republished here with permission.
On a muggy Wednesday morning, Leah Bachar, a member of the Community Self-Defense Coalition, walked her route around three schools in Westlake — a neighborhood at the epicenter of recent immigration raids. Her task: observe children arriving at school via bus or cars and walking into the safety of their school building.
“Once we see that the children have entered and then the gates have closed and parents have dispersed, we’re able to say, ‘Okay, at least the school day can continue for now without any issues,” Bachar said…