As the incoming Trump presidency prepares to deport millions of people, K-12 colleges across the United States are gearing up for possible efforts to protect their students.  ,
As President-elect Trump has pledged the largest mass deportation in history, floating the close of laws barring immigration attacks at schools and places of worship, administrators and teachers ‘ organizations are looking to build relationships and provide solutions for students and families without legal standing.  ,
School administrators and advocates are making sure staff members are aware of the private rights that immigrant students have and how to deal with other issues like slipping attendance as illegal families fear the worst.  ,
Trump’s receiving “border king” has said he plans to revive home detention centers, and that half homes may be needed for U. S. member children with non-citizen parents.
” I don’t know what]Trump’s ] true agenda is going to be until he gets in, but I can tell you this, he’s scaring the living hell out of a lot of kids who are just here trying to make it”, said Todd Quarnberg, principal of Utah’s Herriman High School, which has had an influx of migrant students over the past few years.  ,
If Trump follows through with his promises, hundreds of thousands of illegal students will attend public schools across the United States. Many of these individuals are U.S. people with illegal parents who may find themselves without a guardian or in legal limbo.
Trump reportedly wants to permit Immigration Customs and Enforcement ( ICE ) raids in schools, but undocumented immigrants have the same security measures as other students when the agency enters a facility.  ,
Administrators and staff members would not be permitted to disclose any student’s immigration status.  ,
” Many times, schools are the first people a student will tell about their undocumented status, and that’s because of trust,” said Patrick Greene, principal at Greene Central High School in North Carolina, who has seen undocumented students ask for assistance with obtaining a license, finding employment, or applying for college.  ,  ,
” One of the first things we’ve taught all of our staff, student counselors, and teachers together on is maintaining that trust,” he continued, and he also noted that “how to be an ally and a support and just to understand the barriers these students and their families face” are two things we’ve taught them.  ,
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho of the Los Angeles Unified School District has also stated that staff members are receiving training to prepare for immigration officials.  ,
Much of Trump’s plan will require local and state cooperation, which in some locations will not come easy.
In California, where the governor convened a special session to anticipate incoming Trump administration moves, ICE is unlikely to receive much assistance.
” I think being in California, there’s enough state protections right now that we would be able to not let]ICE] onto campus to talk to students, and I feel like we feel fairly confident about that”, said Mark Anderson, executive director of high schools in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District.  ,
When reached for comment, Karoline Leavitt, the spokesperson for Trump’s transition team, said the incoming president  , “was given a mandate by the American people to stop the invasion of illegal immigrants, secure the border, and deport dangerous criminals and terrorists that make our communities less safe. He will deliver” . ,
Republican governors are much more likely to support Trump’s immigration policies, especially in Florida. Calling a special session to accomplish that is Ron DeSantis ( R ).  ,
However, federal safeguards for students ‘ privacy extend beyond the state and prevent immigration status at school from being shared without a valid warrant or parent’s consent.  ,
” If an immigration agent comes into a school, it doesn’t matter where it is, by law, under FERPA, under the protections that students have under privacy, a school district cannot disclose, voluntarily disclose students ‘ information”, said Viridiana Carrizales, co-founder and CEO of ImmSchools, a group that focuses on the intersection between immigration and education.  ,
However, undocumented students ‘ rates of absenteeism rise as the number of immigration checks and raids rise.  ,
According to Carrizales, “we’ve seen students leave their classrooms after being deported or even having their neighborhood raided,” and as a result, schools have seen absenteeism, a lack of involvement from both students and their families because they are afraid.  ,
The American Federation of Teachers ( AFT ) provides resources for schools that educate educators about the rights of immigrant students and plans that schools can implement to protect and assist undocumented families.  ,  ,  ,
President Randi Weingarten stated on social media that AFT is “updating our resources on immigration — and the AFT will fight to protect working families who love this country and want an opportunity to pursue the American dream” in light of the “increased anxiety + fear” the group is seeing.
The principal of North Carolina, Greene, recalls years ago that a school open house was held a few miles away from the police setting up a license check.  ,
” There was a general consensus among the Latino community that that was done with intention to find them and have them checked. And so it took us a while to regain that trust and understanding, he said.  ,
Undocumented students who fear returning from school without their guardian present worry because of the checks and other measures the Trump administration may implement.
” In the past, we have seen how following a raid that often happens at a workspace, usually the next day, hundreds of kids miss school because their own parents were detained, and now they don’t have a parent to take care of them”, said Carrizales.
” We know that regardless of where they happen, the impact is going to be felt the most in our schools,” she said.” Even if deportations are not specifically being targeted… or schools aren’t being targeted for these mass deportations,” she continued.
A decrease in attendance would occur because chronic absenteeism has been a problem in schools since the pandemic. Low academic standards are a result of the drop in attendance, with research from NWEA last summer showing eighth-graders a year behind in math and reading.  ,
” Attendance ever since COVID, it’s just a big issue making sure, especially at the secondary level, that students are engaged and they’re attending”, said Anderson.  ,
We can’t ignore federal politics because they play such a significant role in what we do, but we can’t get so bogged down in them that we can’t continue to offer those services to kids, he said.  ,
