California state lawmakers are taking action to enact safeguards against federal immigration enforcement.
Last year, state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, introduced Senate Bill 48, which would block immigration enforcement from happening near schools. It would also seek to keep California’s status as a sanctuary state, which also is one of the things on President Donald Trump’s chopping block.
Data show that more than 1 million U.S. citizen children in the state live with at least one undocumented family member.
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of the social welfare group MomsRising, said they’re hearing from folks and students around the country who say Trump’s directives are inciting fear in children and families that could have short- and long-term consequences.
“A terrified child in a classroom full of fearful children can’t learn or thrive, and that creating a climate of fear at schools harms every child,” she said. “We will demand that our government acts humanely and with compassion.”
Rowe-Finkbeiner said her organization has successfully worked with teachers to defeat book bans as well as supporting the need for civil and LGBTQ+ rights education in schools. She said this immigration fight will be no different.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta recently issued guidance to students and educators. He wants to remind people that all children, regardless of immigration status, have the right to equal access to education – which, through the Family and Education Rights and Privacy Act, cannot be taken away.
Gaby Pacheco, president and CEO of TheDream.US, a national scholarship fund for undocumented students, said the stress children are facing today is “unimaginable.” She added that the constant threats of raids at schools and the scare tactics being used are horrifying and inhumane, but added that now is not the time to for people to back down.
“Immigrants are the easiest group to blame, the last ones to (get) help and the first to be discarded,” she said. “We’ve seen it time and time again, and yet our children – our immigrant children – continue to dream.”
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has said that any potential raids on schools would be assessed on a “case-by-case basis,” and determined based on national security or public safety threats.
