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

Practitioners Speak Out: Serving the Needs of Immigrant Youth

By Sam Piha

On October 7, 2017, we published a blog post on the issue of supporting immigrant families and their children in afterschool. We want to follow this up by hearing directly from youth practitioners from Educators For Fair Consideration (E4FC) that specialize in serving this population. E4FC empowers undocumented young people to achieve educational and career goals through personal, institutional and policy transformation.

Since 2006, E4FC has helped undocumented young people pursue education and careers that create new, brighter futures for them, their families, and their communities. They are building power and change to fulfill on this country’s ideal of opportunity for all. 

Photo Credit: E4FC

Below are responses from E4FC staff member, Grace, a Community Education Fellow that works directly with undocumented students at a local high school. We also include the responses of Estefania, the Community Education Coordinator for E4FC. 

Q: We know that many of our afterschool programs in California are serving immigrant youth - youth who are undocumented or who have family members who are undocumented. Can you briefly describe what kinds of issues and needs that afterschool practitioners should be aware of?

Grace: There are several things that youth organizations need to be aware of:

• The program needs to be responsive to current events and changes made to legislation
.
• Courtesy: take care not to not make any judgmental/triggering statements regarding this topic.

• Privacy: be extra careful when communicating with students. Ask if they are feeling comfortable and if they would prefer other methods of communication/service (e.g. when other students are present around the vicinity)
.
• Students who were able to benefit from DACA and are currently still eligible to work, are working to support their families. This limits their afterschool participation. 

• Family responsibilities and expectations: it is important to also address the parent needs and concerns. (Being out late, transportation to their house, parents being scared to drive to pick up their child after certain hours, etc.). 

Estefania: 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. 

Q: Can you offer any advice to afterschool workers serving younger children on what they can do better to support their needs? 

Grace: Make them feel welcomed and promote a sense of belonging. It is important that the school and afterschool program are safe zones for everyone and all students are given equal rights regardless of their race, gender, religion, status, and/or beliefs
. If anyone is making discriminating or hateful speech about immigrants/undocumented, if appropriate, approach them one-on-one to share what some immigrants may face. (There may be some limitation for them to understand everything but they may be able to understand some)
.

There should be a shuttle program to address the concerns of families who do not have a driver’s license. 


Estefania: First advice is to create a zero tolerance space regarding immigrant jokes. Second, provide a space to give educational training for the parents, and/or conduct home visits. Ensure that each student has some understanding of California Laws that protect them and their parents. 

Photo Credit: E4FC

Q: Can you offer any advice to afterschool workers serving older youth on what they can do to better support their needs? 

Grace: Make them feel welcomed and promote a sense of belonging. 
It is important that the school and afterschool program are safe zones for everyone and all students are given equal rights regardless of their race, gender, religion, status, and/or beliefs
.

Depending on setting or group, it may be beneficial to share some struggles that immigrants may have gone through to reach their destination (i.e leaving behind jobs and/or families) and issues that they continue to face in America (i.e. cultural and social adjustments, discrimination against immigrants and “non-white/non-American” status)


Share your own experience, and listen, listen, listen to what the students say. They need someone to listen to them without fear of judgement. 


Estefania: Similar to the advice above, ensure students understand the law and the policies that establish their rights in the United States. Bring speakers into the classroom so students gain perspective on the lives of other people.

Q: Should afterschool programs work to serve immigrant youth through common activities? Or specific activities that are tailored to immigrant youth? 

Grace: I think both are good. Educational activities are important for everybody. They can include issues like why hate/discrimination is wrong. Why making assumptions or judgmental statements can be hurtful even when not meant to be.


Specific activities might include healing circles. They can be general (e.g. anyone who has felt discriminated, or particular groups who have felt social and structural discrimination) or specific to the undocu-community
.

Estefania: I would invite you to look from the "both/and" model. Include youth in common activities, and also create space for specific activities. It would be ideal to create a space with undocumented students and allies sharing the same information. In this way, undocumented students can sense the amount of community who have their backs. 

Photo Credit: nationalpost.com

Q: Can you recommend any activities that they can incorporate into their programs?

Grace: Activities that promote community building and that involve teamwork are good. Consider activities that allow students to have closer understanding of the struggles that the individuals may face.


Q: Can you recommend any organizations or resources that might serve to educate after school workers about the needs of this population?

Grace: 


• Immigration Legal Resource Center (ILRC)

• College Track

Estefania: Yes, I recommend a couple of resources from E4FC and others: 

• Top 10 Ways To Support Undocumented Students
• Post-Election: What Educators Can Do To Support Undocumented Students 

In these two guides, you will find other links to great resources.

Q: Can you recommend any organizations that program leaders might contact to learn more?

Estefania: I recommend reaching out to United We Dream. They also do a lot of work with educators.