KIRKLAND—Fernando Rocha, theater manager at Juanita High School in Kirkland, was arrested by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as first reported by independent journalist, and senior fellow with Discovery Institute, Jonathan Choe on Sunday, July 20. Rocha’s arrest by ICE may signal a loophole in the Keep Washington Working Act that may now place students at risk when it comes to federal immigration status verification and school employment requirements.
Choe’s reporting stemmed from a post by an Andrea Gibson Hallberg, an Instructional Assistant at Henry David Thoreau Elementary—part of the Lake Washington School District—in the Facebook group, Parenting Group of Middle/High School kids in LWSD which has over 7,500 members.
“I have just been told that our beloved theater director at JHS has been detained by ICE and I am wondering if anyone else in the theater community can confirm this, and if there is any way we can ensure he receives due process and help get him representation,” wrote Hallberg. “He has been an amazing mentor to my son and I want to do anything I can to help him.”
Senator Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), deputy majority leader of the Washington State Senate, replied to Hallberg’s post writing, “My office has reached out to our federal delegation to try to get him released.”
In a follow-up post in the thread, Choe provided additional context: “Juanita High is located in Kirkland, WA. News of Rocha’s arrest was first reported on a parent’s FB group. It’s also unclear exactly where this bust went down.”
At 10:11 a.m., Tuesday, July 22, 2025, ICE Seattle posted to its X account the detainment Rocha.
“Fernando Alves-Rocha, 45, is a citizen of Brazil arrested by ICE Seattle in Monroe, WA. Alves entered the U.S. in 2018 under a tourist visa which he overstayed, and is wanted by law enforcement authorities in Brazil for theft. He’ll be detained by ICE pending removal proceedings,” ICE wrote.
Fernando Alves-Rocha, 45, is a citizen of Brazil arrested by @EROSeattle in Monroe, WA. Alves entered the U.S. in 2018 under a tourist visa which he overstayed, and is wanted by law enforcement authorities in Brazil for theft. He'll be detained by ICE pending removal proceedings. pic.twitter.com/Ksh0FgGZD7
Lake Washington School District Board Vice President Mark Stuart confirmed that the school district is aware of Rocha’s detainment by ICE in a response to the FB parent’s group thread.
“When I learned the news today, I tested Dr. Holmen,” wrote School Board VP Stuart. “He wrote back saying the district is aware and responding in accordance with employment requirements and various state and federal laws.”
Stuart added that he is “pleased to see the post here from WA ST Senator Manka Dhingra.”
According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Juanita High School is part of the Lake Washington School District, which serves communities in King County, including Kirkland. It has a 2024-25 enrollment of 1,785 students with 83.9% of students meeting English grade level skills, 65.7% in Math and 37% in Science.
The district employs both certificated staff, such as teachers and counselors, and classified staff, including support roles like theater managers. According to the school district’s job postings and website employment policies, employment is contingent upon successful background checks and fingerprinting.
Washington state law mandates rigorous record checks for school employees to ensure child safety. Under RCW 28A.400.303, school districts must require a record check through the Washington State Patrol criminal identification system and the Federal Bureau of Investigation before hiring employees who will have regularly scheduled unsupervised access to children. This includes a fingerprint check using a complete Washington state criminal identification fingerprint card.
According to the state law (Section 1(d), “When necessary, applicants for employment may be employed on a conditional basis pending completion of the record check.” The law also allows waivers if a record check was completed within the previous two years, according to Section 1(e).
These checks focus on criminal history and do not explicitly address immigration status, which is typically verified separately through federal Form I-9 requirements for work authorization.
The Lake Washington School District follows these state guidelines, with job applications processed through systems like AppliTrack—now part of Frontline Education—where positions specify that candidates must pass criminal background checks.
Collin Sullivan, Communication’s Manager for the Lake Washington School District shared with the Lynnwood Times that the school district has been in contact with Rocha “to provide appropriate employment documentation” and is “monitoring the situation closely.”
Sullivan confirmed that the school district, “completes Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, for all new hires – citizens and noncitizens alike.”
Salaries open data website GovSalaries shows the Rocha was paid by the Lake Washington School District $90,073 in 2024, first reported Choe.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Rocha is a professional actor with work experience as a theater director, a screenwriter, and a drama teacher. He attained a Master of Arts degree in Theatre from Universidade Federal de Uberlândia in Brazil.
Editor’s Note: Article updated 9:46 a.m., July 23, 2025, to include statements from ICE and Lake Washington School District.
Author: Mario Lotmore
