US Schools Pledge to Create Safe Spaces for Undocumented Students

By Casey Quinlan, ThinkProgress

28 December 16

School districts are offering sanctuary to undocumented students and their families.

chool districts across the country are responding to concerns expressed by immigrant families as they brace for a Donald Trump presidency, The Washington Post reported. Colleges and universities are also considering next steps to protect undocumented students.

Although Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been pretty active during the Obama administration?—?President Barack Obama deported more immigrants than any other president?—?families are increasingly concerned about their status under a Trump administration.

Trump’s promise to deport undocumented immigrants and build a wall to keep them out of the country was the central promise of his campaign. With the stroke of a pen, he could also undo Obama’s executive action, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative, which grants temporary deportation relief for some young undocumented immigrants.

This month, Keith Maxwell, CEO of Prince George’s County Public Schools, told administrators and staff that they should ensure the district remains a safe place for undocumented students and their families. District of Columbia Public Schools chancellor, John Davis, wrote a Q&A for the District community reminding staff and families that no one will ask students for their immigration status. He also informed families of DCPS-sponsored workshops, which help them learn more about their immigration rights.

School boards in Minneapolis, Denver, and Los Angeles have also recently taken steps to declare safe havens and remind families that ICE agents are not allowed on campus. California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson also sent a letter to state administrators that asked them to “remind families about existing laws that protect them and their students’ records from questions about immigration status.”