Schools nationwide brace for Trump, including measures compelling teachers not to cooperate with ICE

School districts, universities and state-level education leaders around the country are preparing their schools for the incoming Trump administration, including efforts to protect illegal immigrant children. 

Many school districts are focusing on efforts to bolster protections for migrant students and families. These include mandatory teacher training on what to do if immigration officials arrive at their schools and new rules that bar them from showing up in the first place. Other districts are readying measures to guarantee funding in case President-elect Trump cuts it.

“We will not allow any law enforcement entity to take any type of immigration action against our students or their families within our care,” Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said Monday at a press conference. 

Carvalho has committed to using all legal options available to protect illegal immigrants attending school in the district, according to local reports. 

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Shortly after Trump’s election victory in November, the district’s governing board passed a resolution prohibiting district employees from voluntarily complying with immigration authorities, including sharing information about a student’s immigration status. Part of the resolution includes teacher training instructing educators on the proper ways to respond to law enforcement. 

“Get ready to deal with misinformation. Get ready to deal with any action from Washington, and be prepared,” LAUSD board member Monica Garcia said.

Several districts are offering training for immigrant students and families as well. In Washington, the Edmonds School District planned a “Know Your Rights Session” led by officials from the local Mexican consulate for immigrant members of its community. 

The event was later canceled due to backlash, but an official flyer for the event said the Mexican consulate would be on hand to share with community members “how to prepare for immigration raids and your individual rights when approached, detained or incarcerated by police or immigration agents.”

Oregon’s largest school district, Portland Public Schools, passed a resolution earlier this month reaffirming its commitment to designate itself a sanctuary school for undocumented students. Under the updated resolution, employees are still not permitted to share a student’s immigration status without parental consent. And the district said it would not allow immigration officials into school buildings beyond the front office.

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Nicole Neily, the president and founder of the nonprofit Parents Defending Education (PDE), said “without a doubt” the increase in illegal immigration has put a negative strain on schools, not helped them. She said the incoming administration will not put up with schools ignoring its policies. 

“Given the poor state of civics education in America, it’s little wonder that administrators are laboring under the misimpression that they are above the law. But after Jan 20, they should be aware that the incoming administration will not look favorably on these transgressions,” Neily said. 

In addition to measures aimed at flouting federal immigration authorities, some schools are preparing for possible funding cuts. Trump has signaled he is open to potentially dissolving the Department of Education and has said in the past he would strip federal funds from schools that do not follow the law.

Richmond Public Schools in Virginia is planning to fund student lunches locally over fears the Trump administration could get rid of the Community Eligibility Provision, a  program that helps pay for meals for students.

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“We delivered millions of meals during the pandemic,” Superintendent Jason Kamras said. “So, we’ll have to figure this one out, too, if necessary.”

In California, state Superintendent Tony Thurmond said his school system is “prepared to introduce legislation that would guarantee funding for California schools and California education” in case Trump gets rid of it. 

Colleges and universities are also taking steps to shield their international students from potential deportations under Trump, several of which have encouraged their students from overseas to return to campus ahead of Trump’s inauguration later this month. They have also offered resources for students who are not natural-born citizens.

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“A travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after inauguration,” Cornell University’s Office of Global Learning said in a message to students after Trump won.

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