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Federal law enforcement is raiding the home and office of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) superintendent and former Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) superintendent Alberto Carvalho, the FBI confirmed to New Times in an email.
“We can confirm that the FBI is serving a court-authorized warrant,” the FBI wrote in the statement. “However, the affidavit in support of the warrant has been sealed by the court, and we, therefore, have no further comment.”
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to join a federal lawsuit filed against LAUSD by a Montana-based conservative group, 1776 Project PAC, in the Central District of California that alleges the district’s desegregation Predominately Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Other (PHABO) program discriminates against white students.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles confirmed that the search is related to a court-authorized warrant but declined to provide more information. Federal authorities are reportedly also searching a location in Miami “tied to the investigation”, according to the New York Post. Property records show that Carvalho owns two units at 900 Biscayne Bay, a luxury condo tower in downtown Miami.
The Miami FBI field office confirmed to New Times in an email that a residence in Southwest Ranches was also searched “as part of this matter.” Broward County property records only showed two addresses tied to Carvalho, in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale.
Carvalho, who has served as LAUSD’s superintendent since February 2022, was the Miami-Dade school district’s superintendent for 14 years. Born in Portugal, Carvalho emigrated to the United States as an undocumented immigrant in the early 1980s. He previously worked as a science teacher at Miami Jackson Senior High School, later serving as the school’s assistant principal, before becoming the county superintendent in 2008. MDCPS is the fourth-largest school district in the country.
In 2018, Carvalho initially accepted then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s offer to lead the New York City Public Schools district. However, after an emergency board meeting, Carvalho changed his mind and declined de Blasio’s offer.
As Miami-Dade superintendent, Carvalho had been recognized for his leadership, winning awards like National Superintendent of the Year, Florida Superintendent of the Year, and National Urban Superintendent of the Year. The community praised him for helping to turn around the school district by raising the graduation rate from below 60 percent to more than 90 percent.
In December 2021, Carvalho announced he was leaving Miami-Dade for Los Angeles, home to the country’s second-largest school district.
“Even though I will be calling Los Angeles home, Miami will always have a special place in my heart,” Carvalho said at the press conference.
Carvalho has been highly critical of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Los Angeles. In a news conference last year, Carvalho urged immigration agents not to conduct enforcement activity within two blocks of schools, starting an hour before classes begin and until an hour after school lets out. In 2017, as Miami-Dade superintendent, he slammed the first Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“I came to this country at 17. I overstayed my visa. Put the label on me,” he said in a November 2017 speech. “I was poor. I am an immigrant. I was undocumented. I was, in the eyes of some, illegal. I was homeless under the bridge blocks away from where today I work.”
In an emailed statement to New Times, LAUSD wrote, “We have been informed of law enforcement activity at Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters and at the home of the Superintendent. The District is cooperating with the investigation and we do not have further information at this time.”
MDCPS has not responded to New Times‘ emailed requests for comment.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as events warrant.
