With federal immigration raids reaching into schools, many immigrant families in Los Angeles are living in fear that graduation season could turn into a moment of crisis.
Among them is Fernando Ibarias, a Los Angeles resident whose 17-year-old son is set to graduate this week from Huntington Park High School, a public school that is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
He said six border patrol vehicles arrived at the campus on Monday, seeking to detain students and their relatives.
"It's very frustrating because there are families that have been here many years without legal status. They come here to work hard. Their children are students who are about to graduate, and they are losing a part of their lives. It's difficult to separate those families," said Ibarias, whose parents had migrated to Los Angeles before he was born.
As one of the largest immigrant communities in the United States, Los Angeles is feeling the pressure of the Trump administration's intensified immigration crackdown.
Reports of raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at locations including schools have prompted widespread anxiety.
In response, LAUSD, the country's second largest school district, has designated all campuses as sanctuary spaces. Officials have also established safe zones around schools to shield students and families from immigration enforcement during graduation events.
To maintain order amid growing tension, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a curfew in the downtown area from 20:00 Tuesday to 06:00 Wednesday local time (0300 to 1300 GMT), covering about one square mile.
The curfew exempts local residents, the homeless, credentialed media, and emergency personnel, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Immigrant families on edge as LA schools turn sanctuaries amid raids
Immigrant families on edge as LA schools turn sanctuaries amid raids
The Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is emerging as a key engine for China's fast-growing low-altitude economy by leveraging its dense industrial networks, efficient logistics systems, and rapid innovation capacity.
From logistics and manufacturing to urban services, the region is building an integrated industrial chain that allows low-altitude industries to scale up at unprecedented speed, thus turning drone-based applications from isolated trials into large-scale, commercial operations.
China's 15th Five-Year Plan, covering 2026 to 2030, calls for the cultivation of new pillar industries and the accelerated development of strategic emerging industrial clusters, including the low-altitude economy.
At a drone operations center in Bao'an District, Shenzhen City in south China's Guangdong Province, a dozen logistics drones take off and land within minutes. Urgently needed production parts, documents, and small parcels are dispatched from here to cities in the province including Dongguan, Zhongshan, and Zhuhai.
Behind these high-flying aircraft lies what observers describe as an "invisible industrial chain", built on speed and efficiency.
"Look at this aircraft. About 90 percent of its components come from nearby areas. Relying on Shenzhen's strong logistics capabilities and its complete supply chain, these parts can be delivered to our factory within half an hour for assembly, processing, and production," said Li Kunhuang, person-in-charge of Shenzhen GODO Innovation Technology Co., Ltd.
Once a new product is unveiled, testing and calibration begin immediately at the drone testing field. As soon as the process is completed, the new models can be put into real-world operation, realizing almost “zero delay” from research and development to application.
Supported by a robust industrial chain, low-altitude routes in Shenzhen are effectively connecting the urban landscape. From its Bao'an District to Songshan Lake in Dongguan City, production components can be delivered within one hour. Supplies are transported between Zhuhai City's Xiangzhou Port to Dong'ao Island in just 25 minutes. And light industrial goods can travel round-trip within a single day between Guzhen Town in Zhongshan City and Xinhui District in Jiangmen City.
More low-altitude application scenarios are expected to be implemented in the near future.
In Qianhai District, Shenzhen is accelerating the construction of a pilot demonstration zone of low-altitude integrated three-dimensional transportation hub.
"We have built the country's first low-altitude integrated three-dimensional transportation hub, and are gradually developing a pilot flight zone that integrates multiple scenarios such as inspection, logistics, and cultural tourism. This will provide technical support for the next step of commercializing cross-border logistics and emergency rescue services across the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area," said Wu Xuemin, head of the Shenzhen Qianhai Low-Altitude Integrated Three-Dimensional Transportation Hub Pilot Demonstration Zone.
Integrated supply chains propel Greater Bay Area's low-altitude economy growth
Integrated supply chains propel Greater Bay Area's low-altitude economy growth
