As concern grows nationally over federal immigration enforcement activity, Albuquerque Public Schools is taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of its students.
Before most students returned to the classroom on Aug. 7, APS released a statement addressing community concerns regarding the possibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity on school grounds.
The article affirms that every student deserves a safe, supportive learning environment, that U.S. citizenship is not a requirement to attend public school and that immigration officials “shall not be on campus at any time.”
On Aug. 11, a 15-year-old with disabilities was mistakenly detained at gunpoint by immigration authorities at Arleta High School in Los Angeles, California, according to NBC Los Angeles.
There have currently been no cases of ICE agents on APS grounds, according to APS’s Chief of Equity and Engagement Tanya Campos.
Since November, APS has been hearing heightened concerns for the overall safety of Albuquerque’s immigrant communities, Campos said.
“Anytime a concern comes from our community, we want to address it and make sure that we’re providing accurate information as well as understanding what the concerns are,” Campos said. “To make sure we’re all on the same page in terms of communication and how we can support our students and families and make sure they’re comfortable coming to school.”
APS doesn’t allow immigration officials on its campuses at any time, according to APS policy JL2.
If an immigration official were to request district personnel bring forth a student for interrogation on their immigration status or to provide any information about a student that may reveal their citizenship or immigration status, those requests would be denied, and both the principal of the school and APS police would immediately be notified. The situation would then be relayed to APS legal council and the superintendent, according to the article.
APS does not keep records of students’ immigration status, and tries to train staff not to take more documentation from students than is necessary, Campos said. APS cannot deny enrollment to students based on known or suspected undocumented status either, according to the article.
APS has also been communicating and working with local community groups to provide input on the issue.
There have been trainings done by APS and the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, a union representing educations in the Albuquerque Public Schools, to educate staff on what to do in the event of ICE agents on campus, immigrants’ rights and how to address students’ fears on the subject, Elementary School Teacher and President of the ATF Ellen Bernstein said.
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“I think no child should be scared to go to school for any reason, and the fact that it’s our government instilling fear in young children who deserve an education,” Bernstein said. “I think that goes against everything that our country has traditionally been about.”
According to a June report published by Thomas Dee, a specialist in the School of Education at Stanford University, recent ICE raids in California’s Central Valley increased student absences by 22% in schools near the raids.
The chief of APS police met with all of the district principals to discuss how the process works and what to do in case there is a situation on a campus, APS Director of Communications Martin Salazar said.
“We felt it was really, really important to make sure that our building administrators view the process, and that way, they could convey that (information) to their own staffs, and everyone could be on the same page,” Salazar said.
Fatima Ceballos, the president of the New Mexico Parent Teacher Association, an organization that advocates for all New Mexico students, is the child of undocumented immigrants and a lifelong advocate for students, she said.
“We feel that the state of New Mexico and APS schools have taken a very proactive approach,” Ceballos said. “We support the staff that they’re not allowing any immigration officials or law enforcement into school grounds, to prioritize the safety of the kids. We feel that in New Mexico, we’re very lucky to have in place systems that protect our students.”
While Ceballos does support the actions already taken by APS and governmental groups, she would like to see a piece of statewide legislation to protect students from immigration authorities while they are on school grounds and even stronger communication between the school, local communities and local law enforcement to focus on the safety of the students.
“We are concerned for their safety, that we are concerned for the families, but we do trust that our government officials in Albuquerque and in New Mexico do take care of the emotional well-being of the students,” Ceballos said.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on X @jadenmckelvey