(NewsNation) — Schools across the country are preparing for potential visits from immigration agents as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, following a campaign promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
In several major cities, school districts are advocating for the rights of immigrant students to attend school, regardless of their legal status, and declaring that they will not assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
“Families and communities and children are anxious, and this creates another level of anxiety and vulnerability in our classrooms and our communities,” said Karla Hernandez-Mats, president of the United Teachers of Dade, the largest teachers’ union in the Southeast. “It is certainly a topic that, although it may not be talked about publicly, is certainly happening at kitchen tables and dining room tables.”
Educator: Deportations impact all students
A 2011 memo from then-ICE Director John Morton implemented a more restrained approach to immigration enforcement, stating “This policy is designed to ensure that these enforcement actions do not occur at nor are focused on sensitive locations such as schools and churches … unless (a) exigent circumstances exist.”
Such circumstances include an immediate threat or situations requiring prior legal approval.
In California, officials this week offered guidance to schools on state law limiting local participation in immigration enforcement.
The 54-page California guide outlines state and federal protections for students and procedures for responding to law enforcement requests ranging from documents to interviews with students.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents have long abided by guidance that deters arresting parents or students at schools and other sensitive locations that provide access to things like medical care and food and shelter. But Trump’s re-election and campaign rhetoric on immigration policy have sparked discussions over whether those policies will stand.
An estimated 733,000 school-aged children are in the U.S. illegally, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
Educators are acting at least in part to address the concerns of immigrant families and assure them their children are welcome and safe at school.
Trump and Homan promise Day 1 deportations
Dr. Adam Clark, superintendent of Mount Diablo Schools in Concord, California, told NewsNation that the looming threat of immigration enforcement is becoming a classroom distraction and diverting resources from other district priorities.
He added that part of his role involves keeping staff informed and ensuring parents understand their rights.
Meanwhile, Tom Homan, Trump’s incoming “border czar,” has reinforced the president-elect’s pledge to begin deportations on day one, prioritizing those with violent criminal records.
However, Homan has also urged undocumented immigrants in the U.S. to “self-deport,” raising uncertainty about how such actions might affect the children of these families in schools.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.