Fund Schools not Deportations! - Poster of the Week
- politicalgraphics
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
Spending On Nuclear Weapons Squanders the Wealth of Nations
John August Swanson
Digital Print, 2015
Los Angeles, CA
Two of California’s largest pension investment agencies have reportedly invested $2.7 billion dollars in companies contracting the Department of Homeland (DHS) and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). These two pension agencies are California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), which represents over 1.5 statewide public employees, and California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), which funds over a million public school teacher pensions in California. These pension fund agencies have invested $1.6 billion and $1.1 billion respectively into tech companies, weapons manufacturing, and telecommunications companies that work with DHS and ICE.
The pension funds’ investments in DHS and ICE are extremely concerning, both for the actions of these agencies and for lack of transparency to teachers in California. These investments directly threaten the safety and well-being of Californians. In the first 9 months of 2025 alone, ICE deported at least 8,250 people. This money is being used to attack the students that teachers and other public employees serve!
On Tuesday April 14, 2026, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), SEIU Local 99, and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Teamsters Local 2010, unions representing LAUSD teachers and administrators narrowly avoided a strike that could have impacted over 400,000 students in the district. Three agreements were negotiated: UTLA teachers will receive an average salary increase of 13.86%; SEIU Local 99 members will receive a 24% wage increase over three years, with a 12% retroactive pay; Associated Administrators of Los Angeles will receive a 12.15% in compounded wage increases over two years.
While this is an astronomical win for teachers and administrators, LAUSD board members have expressed concern with how the district, the second largest in the U.S., will support this financially. The board is considering cutting AP courses, tutors, or sports. These essential extracurriculars are vital for many students and their families who would not have access to these resources and programs otherwise.
Meanwhile, California spent $60.8 billion in 2023, supporting defense contractors such as Northrop Grumman, Centene Corp., and Lockheed Martin. Clearly, the lack of money is not the problem, the allocation and value in education is.
Divest from dirty money!
Stop the deportations!
Fund schools, not bombs!
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