Overview
- At last week’s board meeting, Trustee Maya Phillips said deporting undocumented families would improve student-to-teacher ratios and education quality for American and legal immigrant children.
- Parents and grandparents criticized the comments on social media and in interviews, with many demanding her resignation and faulting other trustees for remaining silent.
- Board President Daryn Drum said the remarks were delivered during individual comments and do not represent the Ramona Unified School District or its board.
- Phillips, an immigrant who became a U.S. citizen in 2006, told local media she was offering a practical observation and described her statements as factual.
- Local reporting noted a sharp rise in child detentions by ICE in 2025 in San Diego and Imperial counties and that Phillips represents the district area with the largest Hispanic and immigrant population.