Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump removed a national policy that had established schools as “sensitive areas” safe from immigration enforcement, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
On Jan. 28, the school board unanimously approved resolution 2025.31, titled “Resolution of the Milpitas Unified School District Board of Education Reaffirming Support for Save and Inclusive Learning and Working Environments for All Students, Families, and MUSD Team Members, Regardless of Immigration Status.”
“Under California privacy law, our school staff does not need to give U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers any information about any of our students,” Jordan said. “We have protocols in place where an officer cannot see a student without a guardian present, and California penal code allows us to remove any person who is creating a disturbance on campus,” she added.
The district is hosting workshops aimed at educating staff, students, and parents on staying safe, Spanish liaison Norma Morales said.
“We are training all of our staff members and registrars for dealing with immigration enforcement,” Morales said. “We teach them the signs to look for when identifying ICE officers as well as ways to report ICE activity.”
The school district is handing out cards that connect to a Rapid Response Network, Morales said. There are red and yellow cards that allow students and families to connect with a hotline that provides support, she said.
“The yellow card is for people who see any ICE activity and want to report it,” Morales said. “The red card states the rights of the students, and tells them what to do in case they come into contact with ICE,” she added.
The district does not have official immigration information on students, and will not be giving out any information to immigration enforcement, Morales said.
“We don’t ask students for their Social Security when they register, and we have no record of who is here with paperwork, so there is a lot of protection,” Morales said. “We’re allowed to give zero information to ICE,” she added.
ICE officials are only allowed to enter with an official warrant, signed by a judge, Morales said. These warrants are difficult to obtain and are usually only for adults with criminal history, she added.
“We are denying every single request unless we are provided with an official warrant,” Morales said. “Most times, when ICE actually comes looking for a specific person, there is a warrant or evidence of a criminal history, and the visit is not a surprise,” she added.
The Police Department is also committed to protecting our students, Superintendent Jordan said. They are supportive of families of any immigrant status, she added.
“In talking with Chief Hernandez, I know that there most likely won’t be any ICE officers who even try to come into our schools,” Jordan said. “We are posting signs that nobody is allowed beyond the public space unless they’re accompanied by an MUSD team member,” she added.
Teachers should mainly focus on maintaining a safe environment for students within the classroom, AP Spanish teacher Monica Rivero said.
“We’re here to support them in every way we can, and we want them to feel safe and able to learn,” Rivero said. “We identify with the issues that are affecting them,” she added.
MUSD’s strategic goal is to build a “culture of we,” Jordan said.
“That includes making sure all our learners see themselves in what they learn, and everybody knows they have a voice,” Jordan said. “We are here for each other to keep our community strong.”