McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — A national coalition of civil rights and immigrant rights organizations is urging school districts across the country not allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to enter schools or work with local law enforcement agencies that assist ICE.
During a webinar Wednesday, several groups stressed the need for school districts to have action plans in case ICE agents enter campuses.
This comes after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday lifted a restraining order that clears the way for federal agents to conduct sweeping immigration operations in Los Angeles.
Civil rights organizations fear racial profiling and arrests of students will follow based on skin color and language accents and could affect children and families fearful of going to schools unless they are assured of safe spaces.
“We want school districts and campuses to to essentially have sanctuary resolutions, meaning that they’re going to commit to not assisting ICE and and not provide student immigration information, because we want that to be district-wide expectations across the country. We want school districts to have a school preparedness plan, or some sort of response plan to law enforcement,” said Kristal Moore Clemens, a national director with the Children’s Defense Fund.
ICE agents can enter schools but they must have a judicial warrant, signed by a judge, said Adaku Onyeka-Crawford, of the Advancement Project, who urged scrutinizing all paperwork and for superintendents to question any ICE agents who enter school campuses.
“Advocates across the country are banding together to counter those efforts and to stop the school-to-prison deportation pipeline in our communities,” Onyeka-Crawford said. “Make schools safe for all students including immigrant students.”
The groups recommend that superintendents and school districts:
- Implement protocols for if ICE agents enter campuses.
- Train educators on what to say, or not
- Publicly stand against ICE in schools or school zones, like bus stops.
- Send alerts to parents when ICE agents are near schools or on campuses.
- Don’t academically penalize students who aren’t going to class because they are fearful of ICE arrests.
- Cut ties with law enforcement agencies participating in 287(g) programs that allow their officers to work with ICE agents and share information.
“Immigrant youth are under attack,” said Leidy Robledo, national co-director of the Alliance for Educational Justice. “We believe that no young person should have to choose between their education and family’s safety.”
Last week, the Trump administration announced it will reimburse a portion of salary and benefit costs for local and state law enforcement officers who help with ICE arrests. Known as 287(g) programs, there are nearly 1,000 law enforcement agencies that currently have agreements with ICE.
Onyeka-Crawford said they have not heard of any K-12 school police department that have 287(g) agreements with ICE.
The coalition is urging school districts use their free online toolkit, “Protecting Immigrant Students Action Kit” at this link.
“Defend immigration students at all costs,” Robledo said. “When stools fail to act in these moments they become complicit in their harm.”
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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