The study focused on the earliest instance of immigration enforcement, and the country’s practices have only become more aggressive since, Dee says. What’s more, this latest research fits a pattern that shows immigration raids harm students. Unsafe SpacesFor many students, immigration raids are equivalent to a natural disaster, says Jacob Kirksey, an assistant professor in Texas Tech’s College of Education, because the raids cause similar numbers of absences. For many students, immigration raids are equivalent to a natural disaster Jacob Kirksey, an assistant professor in Texas Tech’s College of Education. And the district registered an attendance decline of 2 percentage points longer term in connection with immigration enforcement actions.