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LA Unified Superintendent Michelle King is calling for calm in the face of rumors of impending raids on schools with authorities seeking out undocumented immigrants.

“Neither the Los Angeles Unified School District nor the Los Angeles School Police Department is aware of any planned raids or other action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at any LA Unified school site,” she said in a statement yesterday. “The District welcomes all students and all families and is committed to supporting their right to live, learn and work in their communities.”

Tense debate among some presidential candidates about clamping down on immigrants attending public schools has helped fuel rumors on Twitter, Facebook and other social media, with suggestions that raids could happen at schools all across the country at any time.

The first wave of rumors started more than a week ago, and resulted in attendance drops among Latino populations in Maryland, and caused schools districts in Florida, Texas and New York to issue denials about potential raids.

Two weeks ago, panic in San Francisco prompted the school district superintendent, Richard Carranza, to deny the rumors and declare that schools are safe havens for all students no matter what their legal status is.

“If a student lives in the city and county of San Francisco, we do not ask for their immigration status,” he said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would have to first check with school officials and the superintendent’s office before any such raid could ever happen, he said, assuring people that no such requests have been made of the district.