Following the signing of multiple executive orders on immigration by President Donald Trump, the Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction issued guidance information to support immigrant students in K-12 public schools.
“No matter where you stand on this issue of America’s immigration policy or the current administration, schools really should be a safe place for all kids,” said Chris Reykdal, Washington state’s superintendent of public instruction.
In a news release sent Thursday, the state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction stated it released a 13-page guidance packet that provides school districts with a “roadmap of requirements” related to student privacy, access to educational services and immigration enforcement on school campuses.
Earlier this week, Trump signed multiple executive orders related to immigration and citizenship — including rolling back a 2011 policy that bans federal immigration enforcement agencies from making arrests in and near churches, schools, hospitals and other safe havens and an order to end birthright citizenship, causing worry for some families in the state.
Reykdal said the guidance information they sent out reminds districts of the legal frameworks of what they can and can’t share and that at the end of the day, schools are to “give kids access to learning.”
“They shouldn’t pay the price for anything their parents have chosen to do that may or may not be within the boundaries of the law,” Reykdal said. “That’s the real basis of the guidance is reminding districts that we need to give kids access to learning, and we are not immigration enforcement officers ourselves.”
The 13-page guidance packet states key practices for public schools and common regulations that are in practice, such as they cannot deny admission or enrollment of a student based on their citizenship status and that they can only collect data and records required for enrollment purposes.
It also includes an overview of state protections that are in place, mainly outlining the Keep Washington Working Act. The law, passed in 2019, prohibits law enforcement officers from inquiring into or collecting information regarding a person’s immigration and citizenship status.
“We want to make sure districts understand the do’s and don’ts of what they need to do to follow the laws themselves,” Reykdal said.
On Friday, Spokane Public Schools also sent out a staff newsletter addressing what it anticipated as potential new immigration policies at the national level. The newsletter emphasized the district’s commitment to providing every student with opportunities, regardless of their background.
Under school-wide policy, staff is prohibited from granting access to federal immigration agents or providing them information unless given permission from the superintendent or attorneys in accordance with case law.
“Spokane Public Schools is committed to upholding our policies and procedures that our schools be a safe place where our students can learn,” School Board President Nikki Otero Lockwood said in a statement. “If incidents occur, we respond immediately and work to keep all our students safe regardless of their background, circumstances or identities.”
Reykdal also said OSPI has received reports, based on social media posts, suggesting that schools in other states are being used to detain or identify undocumented students. They are investigating whether this is occurring in Washington.
Luis Cortes, an immigration attorney at Novo Legal LLC, said there are frustrations regarding the spread of misinformation through such reports social media.
“That type of news we should just be very careful of, because even allies who are trying to help might cause more harm by disseminating like half-truths or vague information that ultimately will just possibly put us in a panic,” Cortes said.
Jennyfer Mesa, executive director of Latinos en Spokane, said that in the past month she has witnessed more targeted arrests than she has in nearly the past six months.
Mesa said Latinos en Spokane is working to pass a resolution with the City of Spokane to uphold and train staff about the Keep Washington Working Act.
“A lot of state agents and staff do not know about the laws that protect immigrants, and we see that in other counties who have not received this training,” she said.
Amid ongoing uncertainty within immigrant communities, Reykdal encourages students and families to maintain close communication with their schools if they hear rumors about schools reporting undocumented students.
“There’s so much misinformation intended to scare and create anxiety,” Reykdal said. “Within these communities, I think folks have to stay tightknit.”
