Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
School districts, universities and state-level education leaders across the country are preparing their schools for the incoming Trump administration, including efforts to protect illegal immigrant children.
Many school districts are focusing efforts to strengthen protections for migrant students and families. These include mandatory training for teachers on what to do if immigration officials come to their schools and new rules preventing them from showing up in the first place. Other districts are preparing measures to guarantee funding should President-elect Trump cut it.
“We will not allow any law enforcement agency to take any kind of immigration action against our students or their families in our care,” Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said at a news conference Monday.
Carvalho has pledged to use all available legal options to protect illegal immigrants who attend school in the district, according to local reports.
BIDEN’S EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SPENT MORE THAN $1 BILLION ON DEI GRANTS: REPORT
Shortly after Trump’s election victory in November, the district’s board of trustees passed a resolution prohibiting district employees from voluntarily complying with immigration authorities, including sharing information about a student’s immigration status. Part of the resolution includes faculty training that instructs educators on appropriate ways to respond to law enforcement.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho with LAUSD board members. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“Get ready to deal with misinformation. Get ready to deal with any action from Washington and be ready,” LAUSD board member Monica Garcia said.
Several districts also offer training for immigrant students and families. In Washington, the Edmonds School District planned a “Know Your Rights Session” led by officials from the local Mexican consulate for immigrant members of their community.
The event was later canceled due to the backlash, but an official flyer for the event said the Mexican consulate will be on hand to share with community members “how to prepare for the incursions of ‘immigration and your individual rights when approached, arrested or detained by the police or immigration officers.’
Oregon’s largest school district, Portland Public Schools, passed a resolution earlier this month reaffirming its commitment to designating itself a sanctuary school for undocumented students. Under the updated resolution, employees still cannot share a student’s immigration status without parental consent. And the district said it would not allow immigration officials into school buildings beyond the front desk.
FIVE WAYS TRUMP AND MCMAHON CAN DO GREAT EDUCATION
Nicole Neily, president and founder of the non-profit organization Parents Defending Education (PDE), said there is “no doubt” that the increase in illegal immigration has put a negative strain on schools, not helped them . He said the incoming administration will not stand for schools to ignore its policies.
“Given the poor state of civics education in the United States, it is not surprising that administrators labor under the false impression that they are above the law. But after January 20, they should be aware that the “The incoming administration will not look favorably on these transgressions.” Neily said.
Nicole Neily, co-founder of Parents Defending Education, speaking at a parent rally on Capitol Hill, November 16, 2021 (Fox News)
In addition to measures aimed at waste federal immigration authorities, some schools are bracing for possible funding cuts. Trump has signaled that he is open to possibly disbanding the Department of Education and has said in the past that he would withdraw federal funds from schools that do not comply with the law.
Virginia’s Richmond Public Schools plans to fund student lunches locally out of fear that the Trump administration could get rid of the Community Eligibility Provision, a program that helps pay for student meals.
NEW JERSEY ENDES BASIC READING AND WRITING TEST REQUIREMENT FOR TEACHERS
“We’ve delivered millions of meals during the pandemic,” said Superintendent Jason Kamras. “So we’ll have to figure this one out, too, if we have to.”
In California, state Superintendent Tony Thurmond said his school system is “prepared to introduce legislation that guarantees funding for California schools and California education” should Trump get rid of it.
Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Tony Thurmond speaks to the San Francisco Chronicle on March 22, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Colleges and universities are also taking steps to protect their international students from possible deportation under Trump, several of whom have encouraged their overseas students to return to campus ahead of Trump’s inauguration later this month. They have also offered resources for non-citizen students.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“A travel ban is likely to go into effect shortly after the inauguration,” Cornell University’s Office of Global Learning said in a message to students after Trump won.
