BELLEVILLE, New Jersey (WABC) — Parents in Belleville, New Jersey, are raising concerns after a message sent to high school students sparked alarm across the community.
Some 11th graders were invited through Google Classroom to earn service hours at an ICE detention facility.
The district says it was a mistake.
But for many families, the bigger question remains: how did this happen in the first place?
“It’s infuriating. It was so amazing that people think it was okay to do that. And this was coming from an educator,” Pastor Jennifer Delosangeles said.
11th graders received the message from a guidance counselor at Belleville High that read, “Looking for service hours: Come help us at the ICE detention facility.”
Pastor Jennifer Delosangeles, who has children in the district, says even teachers reached out to parents, outraged, as their students voiced concerns.
“The kids are like, ‘ What am I supposed to do with this. I feel some kind of way. Then you have other kids who are children of immigrants, who already have a lot of fears,” Pastor Jennifer Delosangeles said.
The post called for kids to do work at Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, where politicians and families of detainees have complained about harsh conditions.
At a Belleville school board meeting Wednesday night, Superintendent Dr. Erick Alfonso was asked what kids were being asked to do there.
“The volunteer opportunity was to make sandwiches and food for the detainees at the site,” Dr. Erick Alfonso said.
“You want to bring minors into a detention center where people die. People are raped. People are abused. The conditions are unsanitary,” Delosangeles said.
Dr. Alfonso laid the blame for the post squarely on the guidance counsellor.
He sent letters home to parents saying the district did not support the move.
“This message was not authorized. And it was not aligned to the district’s expectations or protocols. Once identified, the situation was immediately addressed promptly at the school level,” Alfonso said.
Pastor Delosangeles says for her family and many others, this is not over and that parents want to make sure the district’s values align with serving a very diverse student population.
“I understand people make mistakes, a severe lapse in judgment on behalf of this school counselor. From what I hear she has a good reputation with people in this school, even some parents. But even still, you have to be held accountable,” Delosangeles said.
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* More local news
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
