On May 11, DC Attorney General Karl A. Racine issued guidance to teachers and school administrators on how they can best protect and support immigrant students and their families in an era of increased immigrant enforcement and rising anti-immigrant sentiment. The guidance reiterates that all children, regardless of their immigration status, have a constitutional right to a free and primary and secondary education. The guidance also affirms that DC schools are not required to ask about a student’s immigration status, and that barring written authorization from a parent/guardian/adult student, or a court order, a school cannot provide ICE or any other government authority with information about a student.
The 19 page guidance answers many frequently asked questions such as how a school can limit ICE’s access to their property or what to do if they receive a request from ICE for information about a student. The guidance also provides a list of local service providers who can assist families with legal and social service needs. Click here to read the guidance in its entirety.
CAIR Coalition applauds Attorney General Racine’s efforts to safeguard the District’s immigrant students and encourages neighboring jurisdictions to follow suit by issuing similarly detailed instructions on how to keep schools truly safe spaces.
