As New York City\u2019s students head back to public schools this September, immigrant families are forced to deal with the harsh reality of President Donald Trump\u2019s escalating mass deportation and detention agenda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But in New York, everyone between the ages of five to 21 has the right to free K-12 public education, regardless of their immigration status. Officials with the public schools want people to know that fact and not live in fear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNew York City public schools stand with all of our families regardless of background or immigration status. Let me assure you our schools are safe places,\u201d said NYC Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos at a press conference in Manhattan<\/a> held by New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) on August 27. \u201cWe are here to support our families.\u201d<\/p>\n Aviles-Ramos said that the Department of Education (DOE) is training public school staff on \u201cnon-local law enforcement protocols.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Mary Vaccaro, who is with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), added that teachers were working hard in their trainings to be prepared for the year. Teachers and administration usually ask for emergency contact information, but many have vowed to never share this info with law enforcement, said Vaccaro.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vaccaro said that parents have expressed a fear of putting their children on buses as well, and that teachers, social workers, guidance counselors, and paraprofessionals should be available to receive students as soon as they deboard and walk them into school.<\/p>\n NYC Panel for Education Policy (PEP) Government Affairs Committee Chair Naveed Hasan said that there have, unfortunately, been instances where parents and students have been questioned or deported.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSince January, there has been a worsening federal immigration enforcement environment. Parents are getting harassed at their places of work. Children are being asked to show their papers while playing baseball in the park. Families are being detained at regularly scheduled court hearings,\u201d said Hasan. \u201cWe\u2019ve experienced an increasing number of public school students\u2026taken by (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) ICE. They\u2019re being held in deplorable conditions, shuttled from state to state, denied access to legal support and their education. Some have even been deported to countries from which they fled ever present danger.\u201d<\/p>\n To combat this, PEP passed a resolution<\/a> in January 2025 stating that the city\u2019s public schools will protect all students, including migrant children. The on the ground effort to assist and protect immigrants is also valiantly led by advocates and nonprofits, said Hasan, that can help with things like school enrollment, seasonal clothing, books, temporary housing issues, referrals to legal services, court accompaniment, etc.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hasan said that many that were previously helped are now returning to assist others.<\/p>\n Still, other elected officials encouraged caution.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now it\u2019s very difficult to say to anyone in New York City that face deportation that we can protect them in any of our public agencies, or City agencies, in any way,\u201d said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the first Dominican-American to serve in his role, at a rally for Haitian immigrant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in Brooklyn.\u00a0<\/p>\n Public Advocate Jumaane Williams warned about spreading misinformation and fear mongering as well. He said that as of this week there have been no \u201craids\u201d on schools and places of employment that he\u2019s aware of. \u201cThere is a lot of reason to be afraid out there,\u201d said Williams. \u201c Just want to make sure that people are spreading accurate information.\u201d<\/p>\n Families are encouraged to be equipped with resources to help them stay safe, including Know Your Rights information<\/a> and family preparedness planning.\u00a0<\/p>\n Quick guide to what you need to know about your or your child\u2019s rights in school<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The information here is not a replacement for legal advice, but according to the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU):<\/a><\/p>\n For more comprehensive information and guides or assistance, go to www.nyic.org\/resources-training\/kyr\/<\/a> or contact NYCLU at schools@nyclu.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n\n