Educational institutions up to the university level must alert parents, teachers, students, staff
Schools in California would be required to announce the presence of immigration enforcement on campus under a new bill passed by the California legislature, reported the Associated Press.
The legislature passed the bill on Tuesday September 2. Under the law, parents and teachers must be notified; moreover, California State universities and community colleges, and request University of California campuses, must alert students, faculty, and staff. These requirements would be in place until 2031.
The bill is one of a number of proposals passed to shield families from the immigration efforts initiated by the Trump administration. California Governor Gavin Newsom must sign the bill into law by October 12.
“Students cannot learn unless they feel safe. For decades we had a bipartisan agreement to keep educational institutions, schools, campuses, free from immigration enforcement activities,” said Al Muratsuchi, Democratic Assembly member, in a statement published by AP News.
In addition to this bill, the California legislature progressed legislation prohibiting immigration enforcement from entering the nonpublic areas of schools or hospital grounds without a warrant. Last month, Alberto Carvalho, Los Angeles Unified school district superintendent, called for immigration authorities to refrain from conducting enforcement activity within a two-block radius of schools.
Carvalho also changed bus routes to accommodate additional students and initiated the distribution of family preparedness packets containing know-your-rights information, emergency contact updates, and advice on designating backup caregivers in the event of a parent’s detention.
In June, AP News reported that a Connecticut law would expand legislation restricting when law enforcement officers could work with federal requests for immigrant detention. The expansion would allow aggrieved person to sue municipalities for state Trust Act breaches.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis also signed into law legislation that would prevent prisons from holding inmates for immigration enforcement. The law would also permit the imposition of penalties reaching US$50,000 on public schools, colleges, libraries, child care centers and health care facilities that obtained information on people's immigration status, barring certain exceptions.
