Overview:
Fresno Unified reaffirmed a 2018 commitment to undocumented students at the start of the year. The board of trustees issued a resolution recognizing the district as a “safe place” for students and families threatened by immigration enforcement.
As threats of mass deportations loom in the Central Valley, school districts in the region are mobilizing to protect their students.
A handful of parents recently gathered at Fresno Adult School on a bright Saturday morning, notebooks and pens in hand, ready to take notes during an hour-long “Know Your Rights” presentation.
The event was organized by Fresno Unified and the Education and Leadership Foundation, a local immigrant rights organization.
Among the small group was Maura, a mom of a 5-year-old enrolled in kindergarten at Fresno Unified. She took extensive notes and snapped photos of the Spanish slides for later reference.
After the presentation, Maura asked one of the staff attorneys about what she can do for her child if she’s detained by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.
Maura is currently undergoing the process of securing asylum. She migrated from Mexico and has lived in the United States for six years. She did not give her last name for safety concerns.
Questions surrounding Maura’s uncertain status have been at the top of her mind since the November election. The recent California Border Patrol (CBP) raids in Kern County only heightened her concerns. Maura says she’s been worried about taking her child to school, parks and the grocery store.
Most recently, she’s been thinking about the promise of the American dream and how people like her will face more hardships. Maura says she’s anxious for the future – she has upcoming court dates to determine whether she can stay in the country. She says she won’t be at ease until the judge makes a decision.
Maura also worries for her community, as she and thousands of other undocumented immigrants in the region brace for mass deportations.
“Are [deportations] really going to happen?” Maura asks in Spanish. “Is it really going to get worse?”
How are local districts responding?
Days after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, his administration announced federal immigration agencies could make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals – lifting a policy that has been in effect since 2011.
Congress also passed the controversial Laken Riley Act, a policy that will make it easier for federal immigration agents to deport undocumented residents charged with minor crimes.
During Trump’s first administration, various school districts in the Valley took steps to ensure their student body was shielded from ICE raids while on campus. Many districts are doubling down on those promises once again.
Fresno Unified reaffirmed a 2018 commitment to undocumented students at the start of the year. The board of trustees issued a resolution recognizing the district as a “safe place” for students and families threatened by immigration enforcement.
Central Unified’s board took a similar step during its Jan. 14 meeting. Trustees voted unanimously to uphold their 2017 stance that “all children are entitled to a public education regardless of their immigration status or the status of their parents.”
“We maintain our commitment to remaining nonpartisan on politics,” the resolution reads. “However, we want to respond to the fear and anxiety some students are currently experiencing. We want our community to know that schools and classrooms are safe and inclusive places for all students.”
In an email statement, Clovis Unified spokesperson Kelly Avants said the district is “continuing its long-standing practices that provide all students regardless of their nationality or immigration status a welcoming learning environment.”
Avants said though it is not “typical practice” for the CUSD board to adopt resolutions, they “recognize undocumented families or students may have fears about what they can expect at school.”
All three districts stated that they do not track citizenship information from their students and have protocols in place in the event of immigration agent sightings on their campuses.
In Merced County, both Merced City School District and Merced Union High School District enacted resolutions in 2019 that affirmed their schools would be safe zones for all students regardless of immigration status.
Local groups offering ‘power, not panic’
Back in the workshop, Alejandro Tinoco also took diligent notes while nodding along to the presentation.
Tinoco, who teaches third grade at Fresno Unified, says he’s noticed some of his students have been missing class. He wants to know how to best approach parents who are feeling anxious about taking their kids to school.
Though Fresno Unified has not experienced a substantial dip in attendance district-wide, some schools did see a noticeable drop after Border Patrol was spotted in Kern County.
Representatives for the district declined to say which schools saw attendance dip so as to not cause speculation on where undocumented families may live in the area.
“Our communities have a lot to offer,” Tinoco said after the workshop. “Documented or not, we’re here to stay.”
The session was led by the Education Leadership Foundation (ELF). Pricilla Ramos, a project manager of policy and community organizing, said the group has been flooded with requests to hold these workshops across the county.
“Information is power,” Ramos said. “We’re here to instill power, not panic.”
According to Ramos, numerous school districts have privately reached out to the organization to host Know Your Rights workshops. The non-advertised sessions are meant to ensure the public feels secure attending and asking questions over sensitive topics, such as how to make a childcare plan in case a parent is detained by immigration agents.
“The questions are forthcoming,” Ramos said. “People only ask those kinds of questions if they themselves are dealing with it.”
The workshops are also held virtually so any parent can watch from their home and replay as needed. To attend a workshop, contact the Education Leadership Foundation at (559) 291-5428 or visit their website and social media pages.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the origins of a policy change allowing ICE agents to enter schools and churches.
