San Diego School Board Member Defends Controversial Immigration Comments

Maya Phillips says her remarks about deportation and class sizes were 'factual, neutral, and legally compliant'.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Maya Phillips, a board member of the Ramona Unified School District in California, has defended controversial comments she made at a March 4 meeting where she said deportation was 'better' for the student-to-teacher ratio as 'more illegal aliens with children are deported.' Phillips insists her comments were an 'unemotional observation' about the 'practical effects' of immigration enforcement policies, not a personal opinion. However, parents and community members are angered by her remarks.

Why it matters

San Diego County has been especially affected by nationwide immigration enforcement, with more than 250 children arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2025. Phillips' comments have sparked outrage, with critics arguing she is not seeing undocumented students as 'humans' but rather as 'numbers or statistics'.

The details

Phillips said her comments were about addressing concerns from families about immigration enforcement causing students to miss school, and that she was reassuring legal residents they had no reason to worry, with her observation only applying to those in the country illegally. She insisted she did not express a personal opinion and was making a 'factual, neutral, and legally compliant observation' about the potential practical effects of federal immigration policies.

  • On March 4, 2026, Phillips made the controversial comments at a Ramona Unified School District board meeting.
  • In 2025, more than 250 children were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego and Imperial counties.

The players

Maya Phillips

A board member of the Ramona Unified School District in California who defended controversial comments she made about deportation and class sizes.

Ramona Unified School District

The school district in California where Phillips serves as a board member.

Talia Maya

A parent who disagreed with Phillips' comments.

Jenny Velasco

A parent who said Phillips' comments were unfortunate and that she was not seeing undocumented students as 'humans' but rather as 'numbers or statistics'.

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What they’re saying

“I disagree with those comments.”

— Talia Maya, Parent (The California Post)

“I think as educators, the children always come first, right? Like their safety, them feeling included and them feeling like they belong, you know.”

— Jenny Velasco, Parent (The California Post)

“So it's just unfortunate to know that in 2026 we're still having these conversations of people being called illegal or this or that, but they're not seeing them as humans, you know? They're seeing [children] as numbers or statistics.”

— Jenny Velasco, Parent (The California Post)

What’s next

The Ramona Unified School District has not indicated any specific next steps in response to Phillips' comments, but the controversy is likely to continue as parents and community members express their outrage.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions and debates around immigration enforcement policies and their impact on schools and students, particularly undocumented children. It underscores the need for educators and policymakers to approach these issues with sensitivity, empathy, and a focus on the well-being and inclusion of all students, regardless of their immigration status.