SCUSD is a Safe Haven district to protect immigrant children

March 7, 2017 or Alex Barrios: 916-752-3705

Sacramento City schools launch ‘Safe Haven’

campaign to protect undocumented students

Community leaders pledge support for the district’s efforts to inform every student

and their families of the legal rights of the undocumented by distributing tens of

thousands of ‘know your rights’ fliers at all schools, coordinating with community

organizations to provide legal resources in classrooms, and covering all campuses

with banners and lawn signs promoting inclusion and welcoming all students.

SACRAMENTO, CA—The Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) today announced the launch

of a campaign to protect its undocumented students and staff amid growing fears of deportation in

immigrant communities. The campaign is the first of its kind in California and is the next step in

SCUSD’s national leadership on protecting and standing up for undocumented students and their

families. District leaders were joined today by State Assemblymember Jim Cooper, County Supervisor

Patrick Kennedy, City Councilmember Eric Guerra and dozens of students, teachers and community

members.

“Our Safe Haven policy was the first step we took to protect our kids,” said SCUSD Vice President

Jessie Ryan. “Today, we are taking an even bigger step by launching a full campaign to make sure

every undocumented student and parent in our school district knows their rights if approached by

immigration officials.”

In December, SCUSD approved Resolution 2915 which directed Superintendent José Banda to support

the creation of a Safe Haven district that included compliance with a 2011 federal policy that

immigration enforcement officials could not enter district campuses or facilities without prior written

approval from the Superintendent. The resolution also restricts the sharing of student files that can

be used to determine a student’s immigration status.

The district became one of the first districts in the state to adopt a Safe Haven policy, which has since

been described by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson as a model for the rest

of California. “This resolution sent a strong message up and down the state that if federal

immigration officials try to come on to our schools or use our data to target undocumented students

and their families, we will take proactive measures to protect them,” said Ryan.With today’s announcement, SCUSD is taking further steps to ensure that undocumented students,

staff and families are aware of their rights and feel welcome and included. The district announced it

will distribute tens of thousands of “know your rights” cards in multiple languages to all students and

will assist in coordinating immigration attorneys and providers of other resources to help these

individuals at school sites. District officials also want to reinforce a message that all students are

welcome. The district will begin hanging up multi-colored banners and lawn signs at every school site

with the message: “Safe Haven: ALL students are welcome”. It will also be running a series of ads and

promotional videos on social media to underscore the contributions of undocumented students and

families in the community. Parents, teachers and community members will be encouraged to join the

campaign by signing pledge cards in support of the Safe Haven effort.

“Our campaign is going to reinforce one common theme—that ALL students are welcome at our

schools and that undocumented students play a valuable role in the everyday life of our campuses,

and that they are a part of the fabric of our district,” said SCUSD Superintendent José Banda.

According to Banda, the district will leverage all of its resources and community connections to help

and protect its students.

For SCUSD Board Member Mai Vang, the Safe Haven campaign is very personal. “My parents came to

this country decades ago as refugees,” said Vang, whose parents attended SCUSD schools. “Like

many of the immigrant families that we are seeking to protect today, my parents came here fleeing

an unsafe environment, in need of opportunities that were not possible in their home land. They did

not let hateful rhetoric or people push them out.”

SCUSD is one of the most diverse school districts in the country. As many as one in five of its students

and families could be affected by federal immigration policies. The district has:

• More than 43,000 students

• 48 different spoken languages that include Spanish, Hmong, Armenian, Korean, Tagalog,

Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Russian

• 64% qualify for free or reduced lunch

• 17,104 are of Latino descent

• 34,896 are students of color

• In 2015-16, nearly one-third of students were English language learners or non-native

speakers

For more information visit www.scusd.edu/safe-haven-district.

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