Families say they worry they will be torn apart

"There's a tremendous amount of fear among our students and among our parents,” said Santa Fe South High School Principal Chris Brewster. "Kids are scared, and some are facing very tragic episodes of racism because of the color of their skin or because of their accents.

About 80 percent of the student body at Santa Fe is Hispanic. Brewster says he has already seen a slight drop in the student body population directly due to House Bill 1804. He expects to see even fewer in the classrooms following Christmas break.

He knows of children who are picking up part-time jobs because their parents are not able to work. The staff at Santa Fe has counseled children in crisis due to the immigration status of their parents or extended family members.

"Being an educator, the deck is really stacked against us anyway,” Brewster said. "And now we have to spend so much time comforting and counseling the kids.”