Community School » Immigrant Community Resources

Immigrant Community Resources

The safety of our students, staff, and their families is always our top priority. We want to remind all of our staff, students, and their families that immigrant students are protected by law in the state of California under AB 699. YCSC will not release information to third parties for immigration enforcement purposes, except as mandated by court order.

While we are not aware of any of our school sites or non-profit partners being targets of any immigration raids, the Department of Homeland Security revoked a 2011 policy that restricted immigration agents from conducting raids on what they classified as sensitive areas, which include churches and schools.
 

We have already heard that the communities we serve have been impacted by ICE raids, leading to uncertainty and fear among our young people and staff. Out of an abundance of caution, we wanted to share additional information with all of you so that you understand your rights if ICE shows up at your school site.

The California Department of Justice has issued guidance to colleges and K12 schools on immigrant rights and on how to respond to immigration enforcement officers. An overview of these documents are provided in this press release from the CA DOJ. The documents are linked directly below.

  • "What To Do If An Immigrant Enforcement Officer Comes to Your School? in English and Spanish
  • "Know Your Immigration Rights and Protection Under the Law" in English and Spanish
 
 

Reminders of Your Rights While at School:

All students, including those who are undocumented or come from immigrant families, have the right to:

  • attend public school
  • participate in school activities
  • receive a quality education without discrimination
 
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

By law, schools are not allowed to share a student's private information without the student/family's consent.  This applies to items as simple as transcripts, and it would apply to a student's immigration status as well.

Private property

Schools are private property and, as such, non-staff and non-students do not have a legal right to enter and or be on our premises without the school’s permission.  That includes parents, as well law enforcement, etc.

Warrants

The only thing that would supersede the above is a court warrant signed by a judge (or, similarly, a subpoena).  Just as the police (or immigration enforcement) cannot enter someone's house and arrest people and/or confiscate documents/items without a warrant, the same holds true for schools.  

Immigration enforcement officers
Schools are generally prohibited from voluntarily granting immigration enforcement officers access to campus. They need a judicial warrant or court order. 
 
Personal Information
Unless explicitly required by law, schools are prohibited from
    • requesting social security numbers
    • inquiring about the citizenship or immigration status of students, their parents, or guardians.

Red Cards / Tarjetas Rojas

We will be distributing red cards, also known as “Know Your Rights” cards, to help people assert their rights and defend themselves if they encounter federal immigration agents.

All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. The ILRC’s Red Cards help people assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations, such as when ICE agents go to a home.

Todas las personas en los Estados Unidos - sin importar su estatus migratorio - tienen derechos y protecciones bajo la constitución del país. Nuestras Tarjetas Rojas ayudan a los inmigrantes ejercer esos derechos y protegerse en muchas situaciones, como cuando agentes de inmigración visitan nuestras viviendas.

 

Legal Advocacy Resources and Helplines

 
 

Know Your Rights Resources

 

Government Agencies Resources

 

Family Preparedness Plan/ Plan de Preparación Familiar

How immigrant families can more proactively prepare for immigration emergencies that arise.
 
Cómo las familias inmigrantes pueden prepararse de manera más proactiva para las emergencias migratorias que surjan.