Story perspectives

Camden Schools Warn Families of Controversial ICE Program

10/9/2025

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Camden Schools Respond

Camden City School District alerts families about a potential ICE program, "Freaky Friday," targeting unaccompanied immigrant children aged 14 and older.
The program may send letters with threatening language, offering $2,500 for voluntary return to their home countries.
Officials stress that families should continue sending children to school, highlighting safety and rights.
ICE claims the program is voluntary and aimed at unaccompanied minors smuggled into the U.S.
Advocates criticize the program as unprecedented and fear-inducing, though attendance remains unchanged.

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Bishop Seitz Advocates

El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz met Pope Leo XIV, delivering letters from immigrant families.
The letters describe anxiety among legal migrants and citizens, noting deportation fears and federal raids.
Seitz urged the U.S. bishops' conference to act; Pope Leo XIV expressed support.
At Holy Year Mass, Pope Leo XIV condemned discrimination against migrants and did not comment on Chicago crackdown.

History

Historical Context

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 granted amnesty to about 3 million undocumented immigrants, aiming to address illegal immigration. However, enforcement mechanisms have evolved, leading to increased deportation fears, particularly among unaccompanied minors. The current ICE program, "Freaky Friday," reflects ongoing anxieties within immigrant communities, complicating future immigration reform efforts and fostering distrust between these communities and government authorities.

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Camden Schools Respond

Camden City School District alerts families about a potential ICE program, "Freaky Friday," targeting unaccompanied immigrant children aged 14 and older.
The program may send letters with threatening language, offering $2,500 for voluntary return to their home countries.
Officials stress that families should continue sending children to school, highlighting safety and rights.
ICE claims the program is voluntary and aimed at unaccompanied minors smuggled into the U.S.
Advocates criticize the program as unprecedented and fear-inducing, though attendance remains unchanged.

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