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Texas groups that advocate for children and immigrants said they’re concerned about President Trump’s new immigration policies. But they also said there’s still a lot they don’t know about how those policies will be implemented — and laws that protect children’s access to education.
On Monday, Trump signed a flurry of executive orders on immigration. The next day, his administration rescinded a policy barring immigration enforcement at sensitive locations like churches and schools.
“Immigration policy in America is Texas children policy in many ways, and it really has a lot of us concerned about what's going on with this immigration policy,” said Children at Risk President Bob Sanborn at a press conference his organization convened Thursday.
“I have been a child advocate for over two decades here in the state of Texas, and never have I been so worried as I am right now in regards to the status of our children, in regards to what we're doing with our children,” he said.
According to an analysis of U.S. Census data, one in three Texas children are immigrants or the children of immigrants.
“We are concerned that we're acting without thinking when it comes to children on this issue,” Sanborn said. “We see families that are skipping out on health, they're skipping out on educational help. They're skipping out on any benefits that might even help those children be successful.”
“This whole idea of family separation, this whole idea of children maybe being separated from their parents and being traumatized is not something that most Americans want,” he added.
Concerns about the possibility of school-based raids were raised at school board meetings across Texas this week, from Dallas to San Antonio.
San Antonio ISD Superintendent Jaime Aquino took a moment of privilege during SAISD’s meeting on Wednesday to address those concerns. “Regardless of identity, background or circumstances, every student has the right to education free from fear or discrimination,” Aquino said.
Children at Risk convened advocates from multiple organizations Thursday to address those concerns as well.
“We're trying to tell folks, ‘Don't be scared. Instead, be alert.’ Make sure that you're seeking out those trusted resources so that you can inform yourself and your family,” said Jessica Cisneros with the Texas Immigration Law Council. “These are directives, but we haven't received the instructions yet. We don't know what it means yet.”
Karina Chapa with the Texas Association of Bilingual Education said there are still a number of laws that protect children from immigrant families.
“There's several laws that that protect your privacy, like FERPA, which is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It means that school districts and school systems are prohibited from sharing any information to outside entities,” Chapa said. “And information that you share with them doesn’t have to be related to your immigration status whatsoever.”
San Antonio ISD published a resource page for immigrant families that reiterated that same point. It asserted that all children who live in SAISD have a right to attend their schools and that SAISD has no legal obligation to enforce immigration laws.