These resources will provide guidance on understanding laws, immigrant rights, and accessing support services. We recognize the impact these events can have on students and their families and would like to support you in keeping them safe and healthy. Regardless of immigration status students have a legal right to attend public school in California.
Ventura County Law Enforcement Statement Regarding Immigration Enforcement
Immigration and California Families – a new website from the State of California
Guidance for K-12 schools on Immigration Issues – from the California Attorney General’s office
Educational Rights of Immigrant Students – resource page for educators and families from the Ventura County Office of Education
Video Message for Spanish Speaking Families – from Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools
Californians for Justice
Trusted Resources for Our Communities:
- California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ) – Rapid response resources to protect immigrant rights and report ICE activity
Local hotlines:
- Long Beach: (562) 269-1083
- Central Valley: (559) 206-0151
- Santa Clara County: (408) 290-1144
- San Francisco: (415)-200-154
- California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance (CIYJA) – Supports undocumented youth through organizing and advocacy
- We Are California– immigration, health, gender-based, and wellness resources
- Fugees Family – Admin and educators’ guidebook for navigating immigration enforcement crisis at schools
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND INFORMATION:
- What rights do immigrant students and families have in California schools and colleges? | Quick Guide | EdSource: Recently released updated guidance for how K-12 schools and colleges should respond to immigration enforcement agents
- [bit.ly/MI_ImmigrantRights]Immigration Rights Impact by Role – Doc: Resource to help prepare school staff for encounters with immigration officers.
- California Charter School Association-Stanford Law School-Policy-Lab-Protecting-Undocumented-Students.pdf
- Red Cards / Tarjetas Rojas | Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRC Download and print your own cards to share with parents and families in case they are approached by an immigration officer.
- How School Districts Can Take Action to Protect Their Immigrant Students
- Confronting Discrimination Based on National Origin and Immigration Status
- Assembly Bill 699, enacted in 2017, mandates that local educational agencies take specific actions to protect all students regardless of their immigration status. This law prohibits school officials and LEA employees from collecting information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of students or their families, except as required by state or federal law. Additionally, it requires that superintendents and charter school principals report any requests from law enforcement for access to school sites, ensuring that the confidentiality and privacy of students are maintained.
AB 699 also requires the Attorney General to publish model policies that limit assistance with immigration enforcement in public schools, and mandates that LEAs adopt these policies or equivalent ones to support immigrant students and their families.
- Senate Bill 54, known as the California Values Act or the Sanctuary State law, prevents collaboration between law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement, ensuring that schools and health facilities remain safe spaces for all children.
- Senator Lena Gonzalez and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond have introduced a bill that aims to establish a 1-mile “safe zone” around schools and prohibit schools from allowing immigration authorities to enter a campus or share information without a judicial warrant. Gonzalez and Thurmond plan to reach out to educators for feedback on how best to craft and ultimately implement this bill so that families feel safe sending their children to school.
Students who encounter any violation of their rights at their school — such as through harassment or bullying — can file a complaint through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights or the Uniform Complaint Procedure through their local district.