As we’ve been following the news over the last few weeks, we now know that the Trump administration has enacted a plan to widen the pool of immigrants who can be deported to anyone who is undocumented—regardless of criminal background. This means that in addition to Trump’s “bad hombres,” workers, students, parents, even toddlers are likely to be considered priorities for removal.
And while they cannot change what Trump’s deportation force plans to do, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are doing what they can to make sure undocumented students and parents are safe and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials follow the law. As such, they have instructed principals not to let ICE into its schools or facilities unless they have a criminal warrant.
“To be very clear, CPS does not provide assistance to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the enforcement of federal civil immigration law,” chief education officer Janice Jackson wrote. “Therefore, ICE should not be permitted access to CPS facilities or personnel except in the rare instance in which we are provided with a criminal warrant. If presented with any paperwork from ICE, please call the Law Department before taking any action.”
This is not necessarily new and it’s in full accordance with the law. But it does stand up to Trump’s mass deportation plans and reinforces that CPS is not going to make it easy for ICE to raid schools and make off with frightened students and parents without a fight.
The district also distributed palm cards in English and Spanish from the National Immigrant Justice Center containing such legal advice as not opening doors to immigration officials who do not have a warrant. And it advised schools to have parents update their emergency contact form with back-up contacts, saying, “If a child is left stranded at your school and you suspect it is because his or her parent is detained, please exhaust the child’s emergency contact list,” and to “have a staff member remain with the student.”
Informing immigrants about their legal rights is critical right now. And contrary to what the right wants us to believe, we know that undocumented immigrants do, in fact, have rights. Helping people to understand these rights and assisting them to prepare for the possibility of detention, raids, and deportation are important steps in the resistance and to helping families adjust to a new reality under the Trump regime.
Within weeks of the election of President Donald Trump, who campaigned on building a wall along the country’s southern border to keep out undocumented immigrants, the Board of Education proclaimed Chicago a “welcoming district” where students didn’t have to disclose their immigration status in order to attend classes.
But immigrants rights advocates quickly pressured the board to take concrete steps to protect immigrant students and families. Some schools meanwhile have held workshops on their own for teachers, students and parents to learn their legal rights if questioned by authorities.
In this increasingly hostile climate, many immigrant parents are frightened about sending their kids to school—particularly if they undocumented. It’s nice to know that CPS is instructing principals and teachers to do what they can to ensure that children are supported, loved, and able to learn without fear.