WA high school teacher detained by ICE, district confirms

This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com

A teacher from Juanita High School has been taken into custody by immigration officials.

The Lake Washington School District confirmed that Fernando Rocha, a teacher who manages the theater department at Juanita High School, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“We are aware that one of our employees appears to have been detained by ICE,” the district said in a prepared statement. “We have been in contact with the employee to provide appropriate employment documentation. Due to privacy considerations, we are limited in what we can share, but we are monitoring the situation closely.”

Rocha, 45, entered the U.S. in 2018 under a tourist visa, which he allegedly overstayed, according to ICE. He is wanted by Brazilian law enforcement for theft.

Rocha was a key part of the school’s arts team, according to KIRO Newsradio. Rocha is an asylum seeker who was here legally and had no prior arrests, the Office of State Senator Manka Dhingra stated.

“It is imperative that every person living in Washington and in our country has due process as required by the Constitution,” Dhingra said in an official statement. “I learned of Fernando Rocha’s ICE detainment on Friday. It’s my understanding that Fernando is an asylum seeker, a theatre manager at Juanita High School, and a valued member of our community. My office has been in contact with Congresswoman Suzan DelBene’s office to see how we may be able to help Fernando during this uncertain time to ensure his rights are not violated.”

The district is currently working with Rocha to provide the proper employment documents.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Contributing: Gwen Baumgartner, KIRO Newsradio

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