New York’s Staten Island. According to a document acquired by the Advance/SILive.com, the New York City Department of Education is getting its school bus crews ready for any encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities.
The Department of Education and Project Open Arms are trying to establish a protocol that bus crews can adhere to in the event that non-law enforcement officials, like ICE, approach them, according to a message that was distributed to bus dispatchers from the Office of Pupil Transportation last week.
The Department of Education’s Project Open Arms program helps asylum-seeking families and makes sure kids receive all the assistance they need.
The email continues by stating that required training sessions would be conducted to review the procedures that dispatchers and bus crews must adhere to in the event that certain circumstances occur.
The memo further stated that in addition to the training, you will receive a one-page PDF (palm card) that you must print and give to drivers and attendants.
The most recent educational authority preparing for possible action in the event that President-elect Donald Trump proceeds with his pledge to deport millions of people is the Chicago Department of Education.
However, it’s unclear what Trump would do with school-age children who are in the country without permanent residency. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that the number exceeds 733,000.
Department of Education committed to protecting the right of every student
The Department of Education did not respond to inquiries regarding the nature of the training or its scheduled date when contacted for comment.
Nonetheless, the department declared that it is dedicated to defending every student’s right to attend public school, irrespective of their national origin, religion, or immigration status.
Nothing has changed regarding how we operate; our schools remain safe havens for our kids, and we don’t ask families to reveal their immigration status or keep track of it. We also don’t allow non-NYC law enforcement officials, including those from ICE, to enter schools unless absolutely necessary by law. The first deputy press secretary at the Department of Education, Nicole Brownstein, told the Advance/SILive.com. Reminders regarding students’ rights to education and materials to assist students in temporary housing, language learners, and immigrants were sent to our principals. We are collaborating with outside partners to offer educators and families Know Your Rights trainings in many languages, both in-person and online.
A source gave the Advance/SILive.com an email that Emma Vadehra, the deputy chancellor for operations and finance and chief operating officer, wrote to the principals of public schools in New York City.
The email begins, “We recognize that many members of our community may be experiencing anxiety or uncertainty during this period of change.” As always, we are committed to making sure that our students are getting the best education possible and that schools continue to be secure, accepting, and encouraging environments.
The email reiterates students’ access to education, stresses the need of educators taking deliberate action to support and reassure our students, families, and staff, and announces six more Principals will be reminded that ICE agents are not allowed to enter schools without a valid reason at Know Their Rights trainings, which will give an overview of the rights of migrant adolescents and families living in New York City.
The email advises contacting Senior Field Counsel, sending copies of any supporting paperwork, and waiting for additional instructions if non-local law enforcement officials ask to view New York City Public Schools property, students, or student records. Please make sure that you and your employees, especially those working at the main office or the school entrance, are familiar with this protocol and procedure, even though we hope that it will never be needed.
The email also contained links to other resources, such as an advocacy guide for immigrant families, a list of community organizations that support immigrant kids and multilingual learners, and the Guide for Multilingual and Immigrant Families in New York City Public Schools.
The Department of Education promised to keep providing materials and help as the email came to a close.
ICE raids on Staten Island
Staten Island has previously been the target of raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
In February 2017, ICE detained 41 people, including two Staten Islanders. Both males were Mexican and permanent legal residents, according to ICE. According to earlier reports by Advance/SILive.com, both were represented by the Legal Aid Society and had been found guilty of serious offenses.
During a five-day operation in September 2019, over 80 persons were detained across Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and New York City. ICE at the time stated that a 24-year-old Staten Islander was facing charges of third-degree rape, sexual misconduct, and second-degree rape of a person under the age of 15.
A Grant City father-to-be was preparing to give his daughter his first embrace in February 2020, but his plans were dashed when he was arrested by ICE. Both men were scheduled to appear in court for their arrests linked to driving under the influence, but they had not yet been found guilty of any crimes. That man’s arrest was part of one of two recent raids in the South and East Shores.
According to data from the Immigration Defense Project, ICE went on Staten Island four times in a single month, three times on the North Shore and one in Tottenville. According to the data, three of the raids led to an arrest. Two of those arrested had pending criminal charges, and one was charged with unauthorized re-entry, a felony offense, according to an ICE source who spoke to Advance/SILive.com at the time.
What transpired with the Staten Islanders after their arrests is unknown.
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