The Ukiah Unified School District says it will protect students against efforts by the federal government to find and deport undocumented immigrants. At its recent meeting, the UUSD board of trustees passed a resolution declaring all UUSD schools “Safe Haven.”

The district says it got questions from concerned citizens about the possibility of local immigration roundups and acted also at the urging of California State School Superintendent Tom Torlakson, who wants all school districts to pass similar resolutions.

According to Robert Oakes, assistant director of communications for the California Department of Education, some 1.5 million of the 6.2 million students in the state’s schools are now covered by districts which have declared Safe Haven status and more are passing resolutions all the time.

Oakes said that California schools generally don’t collect and don’t store immigration status information on students.

The UUSD board noted that in the United States Supreme Court ruling in Plyer v. Doe, public schools were prohibited from denying students access to elementary and secondary public education based on their immigration status.

UUSD’s Safe Haven resolution is modeled in part after the American Civil Liberties Union’s Model Campus Safe Zones Resolution, and the board noted also that state and federal laws prohibit educational agencies from disclosing personally identifiable student information to law enforcement without the consent of a parent or guardian, a court order or lawful subpoena, or in the case of a health emergency.

“Our job is to ensure that our schools are safe and inviting for every single child in our community, regardless of faith, racial or ethnic background, political views or immigration status,” said school board trustee Megan Van Sant. “We are deeply committed to this mission and we want all children and their families to know that they are valued, protected and welcome at our schools.”

Oakes says the state is encouraging school districts to enact Safe Haven resolutions because “We need students to feel safe and we need parents involved in their schools.” Parents who are fearful of immigration actions, he said, are unlikely to come to school or interact with teachers or participate in school activities.

Absent any applicable federal, state, local law or regulation or local ordinance or court decision, UUSD said that district personnel will not take any steps that would deny students access to education based on their immigration status, including but not limited to requiring immigration agents to provide written authority from Immigration and Customs Enforcement instructing them to enter UUSD property and for what purpose, as well as a warrant signed by a federal or state judge specifying the name of the person under arrest.

The resolution further stated that UUSD personnel will not honor any ICE detainers or requests, and that any request by immigration agents for information or access to a school site shall be immediately redirected to the superintendent who will take steps to provide for the emotional and physical safety of students and staff.

“The District shall refuse all voluntary information sharing with immigration agents across all aspects of the District to the fullest extent possible under the law,” according to the resolution.

“That’s terrific to hear,” Oakes said. He said there have been no reported instances of ICE showing up at schools thus far, but “It’s a consistent concern we hear, that people are afraid.”