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What’s the most effective way to interrupt your triggers? It’s not meditation, exercise, or box breathing (but those are all good!). It's a practice of empathy. Yes, when your kid leaves their bath towel on the floor of their room after you’ve told them to pick it 500 times, empathy will keep you calm, and also help them change their behavior. Come learn more in this 30 minute workshop.
Note: The content for this article on supporting undocumented students and family members will evolve. I’ll continue to update this piece with new information as it comes to me. Come to my website to see updated versions. If you have additional, or corrective information, please email me at ed@villagewellparenting.com Stay strong! 💪🏽
the heart of the matter
President Trump is making good on his campaign threat to start mass deportations on Day 1. He’s launched an unprecedented policy and enforcement campaign to identify, intern, and expel undocumented immigrants from this country. One weapon in this attack was reversing a standing Federal policy that restricts immigration enforcement in “sensitive locations” and “protected areas” including places of worship, schools, hospitals, and day care centers. This new policy is designed to create terror and chaos in immigrant communities and the institutions that serve them. Scared families may refrain from going to work, attend school, access benefits and services, and worship in community. If they choose to brave these essential activities, it will be with risk, uncertainty, and a large dose of toxic stress.
While the sensitive locations policy is no longer in place, providers and families continue to have rights that can help protect them from some immigration enforcement actions.
Those of us who work with children and youth have a moral and practical obligation to create safe spaces for the families we serve. We are scurrying to figure out what new policies mean, how they will be enforced, what rights our families still have, and how we should respond. Again - this chaos is intentional.
I’ve spent the last few days combing over resources and talking to colleagues to figure out what schools, after school programs, early childhood programs, and other family serving organizations can do to support our undocumented classmates and neighbors. Fortunately, there is a lot of information out there! However, it can be hard to wade through it all to find what you need. In this newsletter, I try to help you drink from the firehose of available information. A big thank you to my friend Sam Piha, youth development guru and founder of Temescal Associates, who wrote a great informational piece on this topic for the Learning in Afterschool and Summer blog. Much of my content is lovingly plagiarized from him.
The resources I’ve perused advise organizations to take immediate action in four buckets:
Public statements, policies, and internal systems
Preparing students and families - know your rights information
An organization plan for ICE encounters
Practical and mental health support for all
Let’s dig in to each of these buckets.
Public Statements, Policies, and Internal Systems
Every school or program should publicly affirm its commitment to being a safe and welcoming space for all families, regardless of immigration status. This can be done by issuing a clear statement on your website, in your facilities, and in communications with families. This is more than posturing - a public statement sends a message to your staff, your families, and partner organizations, about your responsibilities and commitments.
Here is a snippet from San Francisco Unified School District’s statement and policy:
3.6.5 Rights of Undocumented Students
The San Francisco Unified School District is a safe haven for all students regardless of citizenship status. Every student has the right to attend school regardless of the immigration status of the child or of the child’s family members. District policy and resolution provide for the following:
1. Access to Records or Information: District personnel shall not inquire about a student’s immigration status, including requiring documentation of a student’s legal status, such as asking for a green card, citizenship papers or social security number. District staff shall refrain from seeking/maintaining any information about immigration status in written student records. Any requests for student information by ICE Officials shall be referred to the Legal Office to ensure compliance with federal and state law. Compliance with any valid court order shall be strictly limited to the terms of the order.
2. Access to Students on Campus: The School Board has found that the presence of Immigration Officials or Representatives on a school site is likely to lead to a disruption of the educational setting. Therefore, any Immigration Officials or Representatives intending to enter an SFUSD school should first notify the Superintendent’s Office or Legal Office of its intention, with adequate notice so that the District can take steps to provide for the emotional and physical safety of its students and staff; and to allow the Superintendent and Legal Office an opportunity to review the request to determine whether access will be approved.
This policy goes on to name a process for when parents are detained, the creation of a centralized resource hub, and the identification of an immigrant and refugee liaison at every middle and high school.
Your organization should ensure that staff are trained on confidentiality policies, including a commitment to never voluntarily share information about a child’s or family’s immigration status.
Programs should review and revise their internal systems to ensure they do not collect or store sensitive information that could put families at risk. Any records of social security numbers, ITINs, place of birth, and even preferred language should be scrubbed from your files. Start with your current students, and then go back and protect the information of your alumni.
Staff should be trained to respond appropriately to any inquiries from immigration officials, following a clear chain of command and never granting access to facilities or documents without proper legal authority.
The Center for Law and Social Policy offers a thorough but succinct guide on creating an internal Safe Spaces Policy. It’s written for early childhood programs, but I find the guidance is relevant for many types of youth serving programs. The CLASP recommendations include updating emergency contacts for all students beyond just parents and guardians, in case undocumented family members are detained.
Two important warnings: do not guarantee safety to students or families. That’s beyond your control. Also, you can set policies around the work that staff must do to protect youth and families, but draw the line at advocacy and activism. That’s something your people can do as individuals, but should not be pushed as part of their work.
Preparing Students and Families - Know Your Rights Information
Families need to be informed about their rights and how to respond in different scenarios. Your program can help by distributing "Know Your Rights" materials in multiple languages, hosting information sessions with immigration lawyers or advocates, and ensuring that every family has an emergency preparedness plan. Your school district is probably doing this work, so please align resources and information with them to avoid confusion or conflicting information. Rumor thrives in crisis. Fight back with clear, consistent facts.
Here are some good tools to help your community know their rights:
A Spanish language video on talking with kids (includes know your rights carry cards)
One thing I learned from the Know Your Rights information is that families should get the badge number of the ICE official if anyone is detained. It can help in locating your loved one.
Children should be reassured that they have the right to be in school and after-school programs regardless of their immigration status. Teach older youth what to do if ICE approaches them in public, emphasizing their right to remain silent and to ask for a lawyer. No one is obliged to answer questions from ICE officials.
An Organization Plan for ICE Encounters
Programs should develop and practice a clear protocol for responding to an ICE visit or inquiry. Staff should be trained on what to do if ICE comes to the facility, including identifying a designated point person who will handle communications and ensuring that no information is shared without a warrant. This guide from the Intercultural Development Research Association offers clear strategies to prepare for and face an ICE encounter.
Despite the reversal of the “sensitive locations” policy, federal law still protects students and families in schools and places of learning.
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits schools from providing any outside agency (including ICE) with any information from a child’s school file that would expose the student’s undocumented status.
While the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, on January 21, 2025, removed long-standing restrictions on immigration enforcement in “sensitive locations,” including schools, school personnel still have no legal obligation to enforce immigration law.
Schools should not ask for citizenship status when enrolling students or interacting with families.
All students, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to a free public education under U.S. Supreme Court precedent.
If ICE arrives, staff should follow a pre-established plan that protects families. Make sure doors remain locked and that only designated individuals interact with agents. Keep legal contacts on hand, including local immigration attorneys and advocacy groups. Make these connections NOW in preparation for a crisis response.
Practical and Mental Health Support for All
While you should be prepared, it’s unlikely that ICE will come knocking on your door. Your true work is providing practical and emotional support to your kids and families.
This deportation campaign is designed to sow fear, even panic, in our communities. Let’s be proactive in addressing that. Schools and programs should provide trauma-informed care and create spaces where children feel safe expressing their fears. Staff should receive training on recognizing signs of stress and trauma, as well as strategies for offering support.
Offering access to mental health professionals or community support groups can be invaluable. Programs can also help families connect with local resources for legal assistance, emergency financial aid, and food security.
Mostly, keep doing what you do. Love is your superpower. You provide safe places for kids to learn, connect, play, and be cared for. This is the strongest dose of resiliency you can provide.
Again - please email me ed@villagewellparenting.com with any additional information, resources, or considerations.
we’re obsessed with
Community. Thanks to the friends and colleagues who flooded my inbox when I reached out for help with this article: Christopher Punongbayan, Charles Bradley, Alicia Guevara, Sarah Jonas, Sam Piha, Ren Daraio, Sherrice Dorsey.
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Ed Center, the founder of The Village Well, is a parenting coach and educator certified in the Triple P method. The Village Well is a community of parents in BIPOC families, focused on attaining more joy, calm, and meaning in family life. We coach parents to prioritize their own healing and wellness, deepen connections with their kids, and learn tools to support better behavior. Services include Parenting workshops, Parenting courses, and community events. Our support is culturally-grounded support and honors your unique family. Ready to stop yelling? Schedule a free consultation with one of our team members.
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