Principals are being told what to do when immigration agents arrive at the doorsteps of New York City public schools. Ask the police officer to wait outside and call the school district's attorney.
The school system has enrolled about 40,000 recent immigrant students since 2022. Now, as President-elect Donald J. Trump prepares to take office promising to deport millions of illegal immigrants, the district has shared steps with school officials to protect students. A person with weak legal status.
“It is our hope that we will never have to use this protocol,” Emma Vadera, the district's chief operating officer, wrote in a December letter to principals.
Still, New York state and some other school districts across the country are preparing educators and immigrant families for a wave of possible deportations.
With the influx of hundreds of thousands of immigrants across the southern border in recent years, public schools serving groups of immigrant children are already facing a dizzying array of challenges. We educate students who speak indigenous languages, some of whom have never had formal education. Others are trying to get teenagers into classes who may face intense pressure to earn money. And many helped the newly arrived families find shelter, food, and warm clothing.
These schools now face additional challenges. The idea is to persuade parents, who are reluctant to leave their children for even part of the day for fear of deportation, to send their children to the classroom.
“There are parents who are scared,” said Adam Clark, superintendent of Mount Diablo Unified School District, northeast of San Francisco. “We're trying to let them know what their rights are.”
Dr. Clark said about 20 percent of students in the Mount Diablo district are still learning English, so they are likely recent immigrants. He stressed that attendance had decreased since voting day, but the exact reason why the students went missing was not clear.
The district plans to hold a legal information session for parents later this month. The agency's social workers told families that under current law, undocumented immigrant children have a right to a public education and that federal immigration agents generally cannot arrest students or families at school. did. It also points out that U.S. public schools typically do not track students' immigration status.
But like other educational leaders, Dr. Clark acknowledged there are limits to the reassurance she can provide.
A long-standing policy prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from making arrests in sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals and churches.
But right-wing policy advocates in Mr. Trump's orbit, including the authors of Project 2025, a blueprint for the new administration, are trying to decide where officials are sent to speed up deportations. They argue that the government should be able to make decisions, and are calling for the policy to be withdrawn. operate. This has many educators worried about federal agents coming to their homes.
“We are going to follow the law whether we agree with the law or not,” Dr. Clark said. “If they have the proper documentation to carry out their lawful duties, we will work with them.”
President Trump's transition team did not respond to a detailed list of questions about immigrant schoolchildren and deportations. But Trump's press secretary, Caroline Levitt, said in a written statement that the president has the authority to deport criminals and terrorists.
In communities across the country, local officials are debating how far to cooperate with the incoming Trump administration on deportations. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, has repeatedly expressed frustration with the number of immigrants living in the city and has recently taken a more conciliatory approach to Trump.
Mr. Adams runs the New York City school system. Nevertheless, school district officials are telling principals and school security personnel to call the district's attorney immediately if ICE agents show up and request entry to the school. This is partly because it is difficult for non-experts to distinguish between judicial warrants and other types of documents.
Official policy states that the district “will not consent to non-local law enforcement access to school facilities under any circumstances” absent a judicial warrant.
For educators concerned about their students being deported, the city directed them to an online information session hosted by Project Rousseau, a nonprofit that provides legal services to immigrants.
At one such meeting, Project Rousseau's Bethany Thorne said teachers should encourage families worried about deportation to keep their children in school and never miss a court date, even if they don't have a lawyer. said that it should be communicated to the
Absent from court “is a surefire way to remove yourself,” she says.
Chicago recently enrolled 17,000 immigrant students, and immigration-related issues are a factor in ongoing contract negotiations between teachers unions and the public school system.
The district is struggling to maintain staff amid a budget deficit. But recent immigrant students have many needs, so schools need to invest more in smaller class sizes and more bilingual teaching assistants and social workers, said Chicago Teachers Union campaign director. , argues Rebecca Martinez.
Some immigrant students “have never been to school, or they were in seventh grade and last attended school in second grade,” she said. “It all exists in one classroom, and that’s the pressure educators face.”
The district declined an interview request, but issued a written statement emphasizing its commitment to serving all Chicago children, regardless of immigration status or native language.
Additionally, districts will review relevant laws and policies with principals, including the requirement to present a warrant or prove an “imminent threat to public safety” before federal agents may enter a school. He said he plans to do so.
In Denver, another hub for recent immigrants, Tricia Noyola, CEO of the charter school network Rocky Mountain Prep, said many families have felt fear since Election Day, but at the same time remain in the country. , said they felt “strongly determined” to protect their livelihoods. children at school.
Trump frequently speaks of recent immigrants as a threat, but she said she and her team are aware of how vulnerable they are. Some parents have fallen prey to scams where they are given fake salaries or asked for a down payment for construction work. For an apartment that never materializes.
Dr. Clark, California's superintendent, noted that rumors of deportation are hampering school districts' efforts to educate children of recent immigrants.
To make it easier for immigrant students, primarily from Guatemala, to work part-time, the district created a half-day high school program. Encouraging attendance is a priority, but it becomes even more difficult when families are afraid of authorities.
“It's unfortunate that we have to have this discussion,” Dr. Clark said. “This conversation is a distraction.”
