Educators learn how to deal with immigration enforcement

Educators across the commonwealth are grappling with what to tell parents and students about immigration enforcement during the new Trump administration.

The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy coalition held a know-your-rights training on Friday, covering topics as wide-ranging as how to support students dealing with trauma, coaching parents to delete private information from school systems, and creating an emergency plan for detention of a parent — and most urgent, what to do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up at school. Additionally, a public emergency response guide for educators of immigrant students was released this week by a number of advocacy groups, teachers, legal experts and district leaders.

“As teachers, there’s lot of fear, there’s a lot of anxiety, and there’s sometimes a lack of clarity of what our roles can be, what can we do? What is the most up to date research? What information do we need to know about laws and policies?” said Jessica Lander, co-author of the guide . She is a local public school teacher, currently on sabbatical and working with Reimagining Migration, a nonprofit focused on immigrant education.

The Trump administration has announced it can move quickly to deport individuals who entered the country without permission and have been in the U.S. for less than two years — without giving them an opportunity to go through immigration court. MIRA explained how parents could need to take extra precautions — like carrying proof that they’ve been in the U.S. for more than two years, like proof of residence, work, school or medical records.

Enforcement fears are significant in schools with large immigrant populations. In Lynn, the week of Jan. 27 saw an absentee rate 20% higher than the week of Jan. 13. The mayor’s office said this could be from immigration fears.

“We’re in a time period of heightened xenophobia and rapidly changing policies,” said Lander. But she’s hopeful. “There are really concrete steps that schools can take to help make schools safer for kiddos right now in this moment.”

ICE in schools

During the MIRA training, access and resource specialist Catherine Ramirez Mejia recommended schools either train front desk staff to interact with immigration enforcement officers, or have a designated point person.

“If an ICE agent requests access to a student, the school should refer that agent to the district central office. Schools can direct ICE to speak with a a superintendent. Superintendents should contact the district’s legal counsel to discuss the appropriate response before proceeding,” she said, adding that the student, parent and guardian should be immediately notified too.

The designated individual should ask for agency ID of anyone asking for a specific student or a staff member. If that person identifies themselves as ICE or law enforcement, the receptionist can ask for a judicial warrant with the name of the student or staff. The name has to be spelled correctly, and the warrant must have the address of the school and be signed by a judge.

If an ICE agent or a law enforcement officer does not have a warrant signed by a judge, they can only enter public areas, which may include main offices, lobbies, a cafeteria and parking lots. Officers wouldn’t be allowed to enter private areas of the school without a warrant or express consent. Teachers lounges, classrooms and school buses could be considered private spaces, because the general public isn’t typically permitted there.

Addressing students’ trauma

Many immigrant students have experienced being separated from a parent, said Ramirez Mejia. She said educators should never ask about immigration status, but be willing to lend an ear if a student wants to talk.

If an educator is uncomfortable with this, they can also connect a student to the school psychologist or counselor, and speak with district leadership about mental health resources.

Behavioral signs of anxiety could include trouble focusing, changes in appetite and withdrawal from activities the student may have once enjoyed. Teachers should manage expectations of students, like providing extra time for assignments and breaks. They can also encourage self care practices like deep breathing, journaling, and providing relaxing music or positive quotes in the classroom.

If students aren’t attending school, checking in with them virtually via phone, text or WhatsApp, or providing home visits when appropriate could be helpful. Distance learning could also be an option for students.

Caregiving

MIRA also walked through different caregiving and guardianship options for immigrants, ranging from informal conversations with people they trust about what to do with the child if they’re detained to full legal guardianship.

Another option is a caregiver authorization affidavit, which gives a caregiver the right to make decisions about the child’s health and education for two years. The affidavit needs the signature of the parent and two witnesses, notarized. It can be ended at any time by a parent.

The organization recommends families with mixed status to create a folder with information like birth and marriage certificates, Social Security cards, emergency information and guardianship documents.

Information sharing

MIRA also said teachers could let parents know to limit their student’s digital presence at the school. Schools could also limit school directory information.

“Possibly a family doesn’t want the general public to be able to google family information, their child’s information online, and know that they attend that school in that district,” said Ramirez Mejia. “Just informing them that they can opt out — they can ask that that information be removed from the school’s website and social media.”

That can include sports participation, awards for students, or photos from trips. MIRA also encourages districts to consider their cyber security software and restrict who has access to student and family data.

Ramirez Mejia also suggested schools think of the range of documents they use to confirm students live in the district, and avoid collecting sensitive documents like visas or passports, and Social Security numbers.

“A school district cannot prevent a child from enrolling in or attending school if the parent or guardian chooses not to provide the child’s Social Security number,” said Ramirez Mejia. “So it’s important that everyone throughout Massachusetts is aware of this and is aware of the right to public education.”