LOS ANGELES — Amid political promises of mass deportation under the incoming Trump administration, Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez introduced legislation Monday that will prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from entering school campuses.
“The bill says that ICE should not be on campus in school," said State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, who sponsored the bill. "Officials shall not cooperate with ICE to give access to campus or access to student data.”
It also would implement a one-mile radius around schools that would create a safety zone for immigrant families — of which there are many in California school communities. Thurmond says 1 out of 5 kids in California schools is part of a mixed-status family. Denying them safe access to school, he said, goes against their civil rights.
“The Supreme Court has ruled that every student in the country has the right to a quality education, regardless of their citizenship status," he said.
Officials worry that fear of deportation could lead immigrant families to keep their children home from school, creating a severe drop in attendance. That would not only be disruptive to their education, Thurmond said, but schools would also lose money since school funding is tied to attendance.
“There are some who estimate that schools could lose as much as $700 million as a result of the suppression of attendance," Thurmond stated.