ICE Raids at Schools

Source: Immigration Impact 

By Sam Piha

“In 2018, nearly 80 percent of educators reported having students who experienced emotional or behavioral problems because they were concerned about immigration enforcement. A portion of those educators said that students felt “nearly overwhelmed by fear and worry.” [1] 

President Trump overturned a 13-year-old policy aimed at preventing immigration enforcement from getting in the way of people accessing essential services. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents can now more easily make arrests and carry out raids on school property. “In light of the policy change, legal experts and immigration advocates urged schools to act on their legal responsibilities to safeguard and educate all children, regardless of immigration status.” [2]

“With each new raid or series of high-profile arrests...school districts are really bracing for what the impacts might be on parents’ willingness or fears about even driving their children to school, fears about enforcement on school grounds.” [3] - Margie McHugh, director of the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy for the Migration Policy Institute.

Afterschool programs are particularly vulnerable in the event that ICE performs a raid at their school. These programs serve immigrant youth and communities. They are operating afterschool when there are fewer school officials. Their youth are also vulnerable when they leave the program and head home. These programs are also impacted as youth are fearful and anxious, or not attending school.

Prepare
It is important that afterschool leaders are knowledgeable about undocumented youth policies (school, municipality or nonprofit organization). Afterschool leaders who operate on a school site should inquire what the policies are regarding ICE raids or removal of undocumented students. Policies and related guidance often varies locally.  

News and related policies regarding ICE in schools are being addressed on a daily basis. It is important that program leaders are aware of the rights of undocumented youth and the rights of undocumented parents. 

Below are documents that serve as examples of undocumented students’ rights (published by Mobilization for Justice) and policies of a school district (San Francisco Unified School District).  

Source: Mobilization for Justice 

According to NBC NEWS, “A number of large public school districts in those cities have pledged to complicate the efforts by either muddling cooperation with or refusing to report information to federal immigration authorities and by making it harder for authorities to enter school grounds.” [4]

Your school probably has a written policy and protocols concerning the protection of undocumented students. Below is a policy statement example from San Francisco Unified School District.

“3.6.5 Rights of Undocumented Students 

The San Francisco Unified School District is a safe haven for all students regardless of citizenship status. Every student has the right to attend school regardless of the immigration status of the child or of the child’s family members. District policy and resolution provide for the following:  

1. Access to Records or Information: District personnel shall not inquire about a student’s immigration status, including requiring documentation of a student’s legal status, such as asking for a green card, citizenship papers or social security number. District staff shall refrain from seeking/maintaining any information about immigration status in written student records. Any requests for student information by ICE Officials shall be referred to the Legal Office to ensure compliance with federal and state law. Compliance with any valid court order shall be strictly limited to the terms of the order.

2. Access to Students on Campus: The School Board has found that the presence of Immigration Officials or Representatives on a school site is likely to lead to a disruption of the educational setting. Therefore, any Immigration Officials or Representatives intending to enter an SFUSD school should first notify the Superintendent’s Office or Legal Office of its intention, with adequate notice so that the District can take steps to provide for the emotional and physical safety of its students and staff; and to allow the Superintendent and Legal Office an opportunity to review the request to determine whether access will be approved. 

At a minimum, Immigration Officials or Representatives shall be expected to comply with their agency’s applicable guidelines and limitations regarding access to schools or students. However, in addition to compliance with such policy the Superintendent and Legal Office review shall protect student privacy and limit access to the fullest extent permissible under the law. 

Source: www.pexels.com

3. Process When Parents Have Been Detained or Deported: If the school learns that a student’s parent/guardian has been detained and/or deported, the school shall contact all numbers on the student’s emergency card to identify a relative or caregiver authorized to take care of the student in the parents’ absence. It is important that each student emergency card is up to date and includes contact information for all relatives or caregivers authorized to care for the student. 

4. Offer Centralized Resources: The District shall establish or expand a central resource with the necessary expertise to support undocumented students and mixed-status families, including but not limited to training counselors and teachers on working with immigrant and undocumented students and their families on issues such as rights to college access, financial assistance for college, employment and career opportunities, and other issues that may arise; gathering and providing information regarding earning opportunities, internships and trainings that do not require a social security number; providing accessible resources or toolkits regarding laws and regulations on equitable access to educational opportunities, access to a school environment free from bullying and discrimination, legal, medical, housing or other assistance; and partnering with culturally and linguistically appropriate organizations with expertise in providing supports and opportunities for undocumented students. 

5. Immigrant & Refugee Liaison: The District will provide a liaison at middle and high schools with expertise necessary to offer support and resources to undocumented students and mixed- status families; including but not limited to: establishing school clubs such as a Dreamers Club or confidential support groups for undocumented students through the Wellness program; providing information regarding earning opportunities, internships and trainings that do not require a social security number; providing resources or toolkits at school and through parent events or conferences in multiple languages for community resources for legal, medical, housing or other assistance; partnering with culturally and linguistically appropriate organizations in providing supports and opportunities for undocumented students; connecting with local community partners to provide multilingual workshops designed to teach students their rights, how to remain as safe as possible depending on different legal statuses, and how to organize their communities and allies; and establishing equivalent age-appropriate support programs in elementary schools. 

© 2024 San Francisco Unified School District  [5]

RESOURCES TO LEARN MORE
The issue of ICE raids in schools is a hot topic and is being addressed on a daily basis. In addition to the Endnotes, we also offer some additional resources below.  

Articles:

• Trump Returns to the White House. What’s in Store for Schools?
• ‘Students are scared’: Border Patrol raids fuel fear in schools 
• Bay Area Schools, Families Worry About Potential ICE Activity Under Trump Law
• California leaders reject Trump administration order to allow immigration enforcement in schools 
• San Francisco Immigrant Legal & Education Network Emergency Toolkit
• How Schools Can Navigate Trump’s Immigration Policies 
• 10 Strategies for How Schools Should Respond to Help Children Impacted by ICE Raids 
• Can ICE now raid churches, schools and hospitals? What we can VERIFY 
• Promoting a Safe and Secure Learning Environment for All: Guidance and Model Policies to Assist California’s K-12 Schools in Responding to Immigration Issues
• School Districts Pass Resolutions on Responding to ICE
• What Schools Should Know about ICE Enforcement Actions
• Can Immigration Agents Make Arrests and Carry Out Raids at Schools? 

END NOTES

[1] Ileana Najarr, Immigrant Students’ Rights: A Guide for Schools’ Front-Office Staff
[2] Brooke Schultz & Ileana Najarro, Trump Admin. Lifts Ban on Immigration Arrests at Schools 
[3] IBID.
[4] Adam Edelman and Daniella Silva, Public schools try to protect undocumented students from Trump immigration raids
[5] San Francisco Unified School District, 3.6.5 Rights of Undocumented Students

One More Thing

By Sam Piha

We are committed to speaking out on the youth impacts of immigration policies, sustained funding for afterschool, access to mindfulness training and playful learning opportunities afterschool. Below, we offer some additional resources on these topics.

IMMIGRATION AND TERROR

Source: Denver Public Schools

“In the wake of the horrible tragedy in El Paso, Texas, and the ICE raids in Mississippi that have come crashing down on a nation already awash in rising racial tension and vilification of immigrant families, we…are now more than ever focused on being a safe harbor for all of our children and families.” -Denver School Superintendent Susana Cordova (Cordova’s full statement is available in several languages.)

We do know that some school districts have addressed these issues regarding immigrant youth. But what about afterschool programs? According to the Afterschool Alliance, “In communities across the country, anxiety and concern are growing among immigrant children and families in response to new immigration policies and efforts currently underway. Afterschool programs can play an important role in creating a safe and welcoming environment for immigrant students and families and cultivating a sense of belonging and overall wellbeing.” The Afterschool Alliance hosted a webinar with speakers from the National Immigration Law Center and Legal Services for Children. 

The Alliance is also in conversations with the American Constitutional Society for Law & Policy on hosting another webinar next month on the topic of the ICE raids. We will share more information once we know more.

FUTURE SUPPORT FOR AFTERSCHOOL 
We know that funding for afterschool is not guaranteed. Thus, it is important that we advocate every year. One way is participation in the yearly Lights On Afterschool events. 

“Join more than 8,000 communities and 1 million Americans in celebrating afterschool programs for this year's Lights On Afterschool! This nationwide event, organized by the Afterschool Alliance, calls attention to the importance of afterschool programs and the resources required to keep the lights on and the doors open. To learn more about Lights On Afterschool, register an event, access event planning tools, or to find out what’s going on in your area, visit afterschoolalliance.org.” -Youth Service America

Why not invite a policymaker to visit your program? By engaging them, you begin to build a relationship and educate them about the importance of your program and the issues that matter to you.

Check out Youth Service America’s site on GYSD Advocacy / Public Official Engagement Tools. This page will help you engage public leaders. Voices for National Service has tips for Hosting a Successful Site Visit. The Afterschool Alliance outlines five simple steps to set up a site visit and also provides these three case studies. 

PLAYFUL LEARNING
Too often we have avoided the “F” word, FUN, in afterschool programs.  The National Afterschool Association (NAA) dedicated an issue of Afterschool Today to playful learning. In 2019, The Genius of Play spread its message to afterschool professionals and parents through a new partnership with NAA.  

MINDFULNESS

Source: Laurie Grossman

For years we have been promoting the value of teaching mindfulness. We thought you might enjoy this brief radio interview with a school volunteer that teaches mindfulness to young people in an Oakland school.

Immigration and Afterschool

The harsh rhetoric surrounding immigration and the aggressive policies of this Presidential Administration has been very hard on the youth and communities we serve in afterschool. The Learning in Afterschool & Summer (LIAS) Project has published several blog posts on this issue, including guest blog posts by youth and practitioners working to address these issues with young people. Below, we call your attention to several of these important posts. -------------- "I am not an illegal alien. I am not a terrorist nor lazy. And I am, most definitely, not uneducated." My name is Angie. In my infant years I didn't know who my mother was, for she had immigrated to the United States after I was born, leaving me and my brother under my grandmother’s wing. READ MORE --------------- Supporting Immigrant Families School officials report anxieties have reached new heights since Donald Trump’s inauguration, with possible consequences on young people’s ability to focus on school work, the willingness of parents to attend school events, or even to bring their children to school. READ MORE ------------ Practitioners Speak Out: Serving the Needs of Immigrant Youth Be aware of the joking and poking that happens in schools. Create a close to zero tolerance space for immigration jokes. For many students, it is not a joke. Also, be aware of the conclusions many undocumented students are coming up with through their time in the educational system. Residents and undocumented students with undocumented parents might conclude that higher education is not an option for them. READ MORE ------------ Collateral Damage: New Immigration Policies and Education in California California is home to the largest undocumented population in the country. Approximately 250,000 undocumented children are enrolled in California schools and an average of four students per classroom throughout the state have an undocumented parent. “Mixed status” children, children who have legal status but their parents do not, are as susceptible to the ramifications of enforcement as their undocumented peers. READ MORE ------------ Family Separation and Childhood Trauma In expanded learning programs, we are seeking to learn the effects of childhood trauma and design programs that integrate trauma informed practice. Thus, we were horrified by the Trump Administration’s practice of “zero tolerance” which inflicts trauma on children and youth. READ MORE ------------ Subscribe to our Learning in Afterschool & Summer (LIAS) Blog