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In the past week, three Portland-area school districts issued assurances seeking to calm the anxiety some families—particularly immigrants and those in marginalized groups—feel ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Trump’s immigration plan involves detaining and deporting millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally. He’s changed his position regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients—after trying to gut the program in his first term as president; he’s now claimed that he’d be more open to keeping DACA recipients in the country.
Statewide, the Oregon Sanctuary Law prohibits state and local law enforcement from making arrests solely on the basis of immigration status, or from helping federal authorities make arrests. Districts like Portland Public Schools have indicated they’ll also use the Oregon Student Information Protection Act, which prevents education technology companies from selling individual student information, to help protect students from immigration action.
Public schools are bound by federal law to enroll all students regardless of immigration status. In Oregon, districts can ask for proof that a student lives in the school district’s boundaries, but cannot ask about a child’s citizenship or immigration status to establish residency. The upshot is that most districts do not possess immigration status information on their students.
In the past week, three Portland-area districts have released commitments to protect immigrant students and families. Here’s what each has said:
Portland Public Schools
About 45% of students in Oregon’s largest school district are students of color, and 24% of them experience poverty. Their families speak 145 different languages.
In a message sent to parents on Thursday, PPS Superintendent Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong and chief of schools Jon Franco said the district is committed to “upholding Oregon law prohibiting state and local law enforcement from arresting or detaining people based solely on immigration status.”
The message includes a list of resources for families to contact, including several resources related to immigrant rights. It also includes an FAQ about district-specific steps forward. The most concrete action the district has committed to? Training its staff on “policies, procedures and expectations related to immigration actions and immigration status in schools.”
In the case that a student’s family is detained during school hours, PPS will engage its crisis and emergency response teams to support its students. The district is not offering any specific training to families at this time.
Parkrose School District
This Northeast Portland school district is among the most diverse in the state. More than 70% of its students are students of color, and their families speak 50 different languages. About 45% of students experience poverty.
On Monday night, the district’s board of directors passed a resolution to reaffirm its commitment to immigrant and LGBTQ+ students, families, and staff. The resolution is mostly vague in its commitments, calling for “educational and mental health resources” and noting it’s the responsibility of district staff to “protect and defend the kids in our care.”
In a Tuesday message to the Parkrose community, Superintendent Michael Lopes-Serrao provided more concrete steps for the district. He wrote the district will be working with regional partners to provide “Know Your Rights” workshops for families and staff. Workshops like these are often hosted by organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, and help refresh participants on their basic legal rights while interacting with law enforcement.
Details for those workshops will be available after the district’s winter break, he wrote.
David Douglas School District
Like Parkrose, David Douglas in East Portland is one of the most diverse school districts in the state. More than 70% of students in the district are students of color, and their families speak 76 different languages. About 50% of students experience poverty.
At a Dec. 12 meeting, David Douglas’ board previewed a draft resolution to create safe and welcoming schools for all students regardless of national origin, immigration status or documentation status. It plans to present the resolution officially Jan. 9.
The resolution outlines 11 tangible steps for the district to take ahead of the Trump administration. The district has committed to providing training alongside immigration advocates for families, students and staff. Under the resolution, the district will also distribute multilingual materials addressing legal assistance, immigrant rights, mental health care and public safety.
David Douglas is also the sole Portland-area district so far to incorporate immigration advocacy into the upcoming state and federal legislative sessions. The district plans to stump for DACA, temporary protective status, and refugee settlement programs “as well as oppose any legislation for the creation of a Muslim registry system or eroding civil rights protections.”
Thirty days after the resolution passes, the board will also require the district’s superintendent to report on the implementation and completion of training for staff and volunteers on how to help families navigate their rights and support students if their families are displaced.