NYC Officials say immigrant families safe from ICE at schools

As New York Metropolis’s college students head again to public colleges this September, immigrant households are compelled to cope with the cruel actuality of President Donald Trump’s escalating mass deportation and detention agenda. 

However in New York, everybody between the ages of 5 to 21 has the suitable to free Ok-12 public training, no matter their immigration standing. Officers with the general public colleges need individuals to know that reality and never dwell in concern. 

“New York Metropolis public colleges stand with all of our households no matter background or immigration standing. Let me guarantee you our colleges are protected locations,” mentioned NYC Public Colleges Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos at a press convention in Manhattan held by New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) on August 27. “We’re right here to assist our households.”

Aviles-Ramos mentioned that the Division of Schooling (DOE) is coaching public college workers on “non-local regulation enforcement protocols.” 

Mary Vaccaro, who’s with the United Federation of Lecturers (UFT), added that lecturers have been working laborious of their trainings to be ready for the 12 months. Lecturers and administration often ask for emergency contact data, however many have vowed to by no means share this data with regulation enforcement, mentioned Vaccaro. 

Vaccaro mentioned that oldsters have expressed a concern of placing their youngsters on buses as nicely, and that lecturers, social employees, steering counselors, and paraprofessionals ought to be accessible to obtain college students as quickly as they deboard and stroll them into college.

NYC Panel for Schooling Coverage (PEP) Authorities Affairs Committee Chair Naveed Hasan mentioned that there have, sadly, been cases the place mother and father and college students have been questioned or deported. 

“Since January, there was a worsening federal immigration enforcement setting. Mother and father are getting harassed at their locations of labor. Youngsters are being requested to indicate their papers whereas enjoying baseball within the park. Households are being detained at usually scheduled court docket hearings,” mentioned Hasan. “We’ve skilled an growing variety of public college college students…taken by (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) ICE. They’re being held in deplorable situations, shuttled from state to state, denied entry to authorized assist and their training. Some have even been deported to nations from which they fled ever current hazard.”

To fight this, PEP handed a decision in January 2025 stating that town’s public colleges will shield all college students, together with migrant youngsters. The on the bottom effort to help and shield immigrants can also be valiantly led by advocates and nonprofits, mentioned Hasan, that may assist with issues like college enrollment, seasonal clothes, books, short-term housing points, referrals to authorized providers, court docket accompaniment, and so forth. 

Hasan mentioned that many who have been beforehand helped at the moment are returning to help others.

Nonetheless, different elected officers inspired warning.

“Proper now it’s very troublesome to say to anybody in New York Metropolis that face deportation that we will shield them in any of our public businesses, or Metropolis businesses, in any manner,” mentioned Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the primary Dominican-American to serve in his function, at a rally for Haitian immigrant Non permanent Protected Standing (TPS) in Brooklyn. 

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams warned about spreading misinformation and concern mongering as nicely. He mentioned that as of this week there have been no “raids” on colleges and locations of employment that he’s conscious of. “There’s a variety of motive to be afraid on the market,” mentioned Williams. “ Simply need to be sure that persons are spreading correct data.”

Households are inspired to be outfitted with assets to assist them keep protected, together with Know Your Rights data and household preparedness planning. 

Fast information to what it’s good to find out about your or your youngster’s rights at school. 

The knowledge right here isn’t a substitute for authorized recommendation, however in keeping with the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU):

A faculty can not require proof of authorized immigration standing to enroll; and can’t ask about you or your dad or mum/guardian’s citizenship, immigration standing, or social safety quantity.

Normally, college police solely have the authority to analyze violations of faculty coverage or different threats to high school security, not a pupil’s immigration standing. In the event that they do, you shouldn’t have to reply. Additionally, ask in case your college district has a memorandum explaining your college police’s insurance policies and if it consists of protections for immigrant college students.

Normally, ICE and police aren’t allowed to query or detain a pupil in school with out parental consent until there’s a judicial warrant, or if there may be an pressing security subject on the college. Administrative warrants aren’t sufficient to justify questioning, detaining, or sharing a pupil’s immigration standing.

ICE can query you in public areas akin to a bus cease or the subway. Nevertheless, inside buses aren’t public property, and ICE shouldn’t be allowed to board and not using a signed judicial warrant.

Basic data – like your identify, tackle, and phone quantity – isn’t legally protected, and may very well be shared even and not using a warrant or subpoena. Examine your college district’s insurance policies to see what is classed as “listing data.” Examine your college district’s insurance policies to ensure they’ve guidelines for what to do if immigration officers request pupil information.

If stopped, don’t lie and don’t falsely declare to be a citizen. 

If stopped, know you’ve a proper to speak to a lawyer.

It’s best to carry your present college (identification) ID, driver’s license, or NYC ID and ensure your ID playing cards aren’t expired. If you’re a Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, TPS holder, or everlasting authorized resident (inexperienced card holder), carry these paperwork with you. By no means give a pretend ID to an officer. 

For extra complete data and guides or help, go to www.nyic.org/resources-training/kyr/ or contact NYCLU at colleges@nyclu.org.

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