NYC Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos on Wednesday said the city's public schools are safe places for immigrant students, aiming to reassure parents preparing to send their undocumented children to school next week.
Speaking alongside union members and immigration advocates in Manhattan at a rally hosted by the New York Immigration Coalition, the chancellor said thousands of public school staff have been trained on non-local law enforcement and protocols, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.
The chancellor also said schools are offering monthly learning sessions from Open Arms, an organization that provides training programs on migration, so individuals can learn about trauma, transportation and health issues.
"New York City Public Schools stands will all of our families, regardless of background and immigration status," she said. "We are committed to student safety above all else."
Immigration authorities have detained about 50 children younger than 18 in the New York City area since January. At least 38 of them have been deported, according to data obtained by the Deportation Data Project at the University of California, Berkeley.
Mary Vaccaro, vice president for education at United Federation of Teachers, said it personally made her feel ill to know that families are afraid to send their children back to school on Tuesday, Sept. 4.
She urged parents to fill out the emergency contact cards, which Vaccaro assured would not be shared outside of the school.
She also said many parents are afraid to send their children on the school bus, fearing arrest once the bus arrives at school. Teachers, paraprofessionals, social workers and guidance counselors will all be there to receive children getting off the bus and usher them inside the school building, Vaccaro said.
Naveed Hasan, the government affairs committee chair for the Panel for Education Policy, also noted that the PEP is working on formulating a follow-up to its January resolution that reaffirmed the status of public schools as a safe sanctuary from all law enforcement threats.
"Schools must remain safe spaces for all students…every student has a right to an education no matter what is happening around us or their legal status,” said Vlad Tlali, a senior policy analyst at NYIC.
