Orange County school districts ramp up immigration support for families amid fears of deportations ...Middle East

School districts across Orange County are making moves to give more support to immigrant families.

Across the country, fears of deportations have risen as President Donald Trump has begun to act on his plan for mass deportations and rescinded guidance that prevented federal immigration authorities from carrying out certain enforcement actions at “sensitive locations,” like schools or churches.

Orange County’s Department of Education isn’t aware of any U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials visiting local schools in recent weeks, said spokesperson Ian Hanigan. But the department also doesn’t have a mechanism to track such visits, he said.

Meanwhile, Orange County districts have begun distributing guidance to educators, students and their families amid concerns that personal information could be provided to immigration enforcement officers or that enforcement actions ultimately could take place at schools.

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That includes Santa Ana Unified, which recently unveiled its new Immigration Support Plan, a method the district said it will use to inform and communicate with the community about immigration resources and support.

The plan is split into four different objectives: training staff, hosting educational workshops for parents and guardians, providing multilingual resources and counseling for students and families, and communicating through the superintendent’s office in consultation with legal counsel.

The plan follows a resolution passed by Santa Ana Unified’s school board in December, reaffirming the district’s dedication to assisting the undocumented community and reiterating the district’s belief that all students have the right to education without fear of deportation.

Per state laws and state education codes, students between the ages of 6-12 have the right to attend school in California, regardless of legal status. Superintendents or other designees at school districts must have set protocols for handling requests from immigration enforcement, per the requirements by the state’s Office of the Attorney General. 

District staff must also have permission from a student’s parent or guardian before they can be interviewed or searched by immigration officers, according to the requirements made by the attorney general.

Santa Ana Unified’s policy says district personnel are not allowed to provide personal information or assist any immigration enforcement unless required by law.

Capistrano Unified, Orange County’s largest school district, also said its staff are not allowed to share personal information with any immigration enforcement unless required by law.

Pointing to a board policy that was first adopted in 2019 but revised in 2022, the district said families are not required to show proof of citizenship or immigration status when enrolling in school. Capistrano Unified also encourages parents or guardians to provide primary and secondary emergency contacts of who could take care of their child in case they are deported or detained.

“Our goal was to make sure that we are alleviating as much fear as we could by showing everyone we have steps in place, and this is what would happen in that event, although we feel it would be highly unlikely,” said Capistrano Unified spokesperson Ryan Burris.

In an email to parents this week, Capistrano Unified shared its website of immigration resources.

“Every student should feel safe and welcome in our schools at all times,” Capistrano Unified Superintendent Christopher Brown said. “As a public school district, we know that the best place for CUSD students to learn is in person in school, engaging in learning with our dedicated teachers and classified staff, among friends and fellow students.”

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified is taking a similar approach to informing parents about immigration resources with a resource guide on its website.

Its adopted policy from 2018 prohibits district staff from sharing information with immigration officials unless they are required to by law. Its website also encourages parents and guardians who are concerned about the possibility of being destined or deported to update their child’s contact information.

Neither the district’s policy nor its website includes district-specific resources. But they do provide links to county and state immigration resources.

Meanwhile, Santa Ana Unified is to train employees to handle situations where federal immigration officers are present, according to the policy. As part of the training, the district is providing step-by-step instructional videos on what to do if an immigration officer shows up on a school site.

This “ensures that no district resources will be used for immigration enforcement purposes and that no district personnel shall assist or cooperate with ICE or any other immigration enforcement agency required by law,” Board President Hector Bustos said in a video on Feb. 4, announcing Santa Ana Unified’s Immigration Support Plan.

The district’s policies fall in line with its city leadership. Last week, Santa Ana’s City Council reaffirmed its dedication to protecting all residents, regardless of immigration status.

And beginning next week, Santa Ana Unified will host “Know Your Rights” training sessions for families to gather information on state education and immigration laws. The first session is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 11 and will be hosted through Zoom. One training will begin at 9 a.m., and another will be held starting at 5:30 p.m.

Anyone interested in attending can scan the QR code on the district’s website, sausd.us.

Earlier this week, several school districts in Orange County reported a drop in attendance due to “A Day Without Immigrants” protests.” Demonstrators walked out of schools across the country in protest of Trump’s immigration policies and plans for mass deportations.

Capistrano Unified’s Kinoshita Elementary experienced a 50% drop in attendance on Monday, while other schools in the district saw a 20-30% decrease because of the protests.

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