SFUSD advises schools, reassures families re. procedures in the event of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids

Press Release

January 7, 2016 (San Francisco) – Some San Francisco public school families and students are concerned about rumors of impending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

Superintendent Richard A. Carranza is reassuring students and families that ICE will not be given immediate access to SFUSD schools and any request for access would need to go through a thorough review process.

“The San Francisco Unified School District, like the City of San Francisco, is a sanctuary. We do not ask students or families about their immigration status,” said Superintendent Carranza. “We are committed to serving all children and to maintaining a safe and productive learning environment.”

In 2007, the Board of Education adopted Resolution No. 74-24A2, “Commitment to Education of All Immigrant Children and Opposition to Recent ICE Raids.”

In the Resolution, the Board of Education restated its commitment to provide a public education, regardless of a child’s immigration status, and set forth procedures to be followed by District staff.

What follows is a summary of SFUSD’s policy regarding ICE raids, which SFUSD continues to follow:

• District personnel will not treat students disparately for residency determination purposes on the basis of their undocumented status;
   
• District personnel will not inquire about a student’s immigration status, including requiring documentation of a student’s legal status, such as asking for a green card or citizenship papers, at initial registration or at any other time;
   
• District personnel will not make unreasonable inquiries from a student or his/her parents for the purpose of exposing the immigration status of the child or his/her family;
   
• District personnel will not require students to apply for Social Security numbers nor should the District require students to supply a social security number;
   
• If parents and or students have questions about their immigration status, school personnel will not refer them to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office (“ICE”);
   
• It is SFUSD’s general policy not to allow any individual or organization to enter a school site if the educational setting would be disrupted by that visit. The School Board has found that the presence of ICE is likely to lead to a disruption of the educational setting. Therefore, any request by ICE to visit a school site should be forwarded to the Superintendent’s Office for review before a decision is made to allow access to the site.
   
• All requests for documents by ICE should be forwarded to the Legal Office which in consultation with the Superintendent shall determine if the documents can be released to ICE.

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Page updated on 01/07/16