Local school districts work to uphold students’ right to education amid concerns about ICE entering campuses

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Federal laws entitle every child, regardless of immigration status, to a public elementary or secondary education, according to the United States Department of Education. 

However, a new federal directive from the Trump administration grants Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the authority to enter previously designated “sensitive” areas, causing some local families to fear sending their children to school. 

“I’ve heard from school administrators and from counselors who have told me of numerous families that have said, ‘I’m not, not going to allow my students to go to school,’” said Brian Jaramillo, the assistant superintendent of Lompoc Unified School District (LUSD). “Whether that’s for today, or for a week, or for the last week and a half, there are a lot of students who haven’t been coming to school because of the situation.”

Local school districts like LUSD are taking measures to reassure families, protect student privacy, and uphold every child’s right to an education. Additionally, some are working closely with legal teams and community organizations to ensure families have accurate information about their rights and available resources. 

“Our district really firmly believes that every student has the right to free public education under the Constitution, and we’re going to work to provide that to every student,” Jaramillo said. 

According to guidance for schools from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, federal and state laws protect student records by requiring parental consent for their releases, with limited exceptions such as a court-ordered subpoena. Jaramillo said that if ICE came to one of the LUSD’s campuses, they have informed staff to ensure adherence to proper protocols.

“When we have immigration enforcement officers—if they do come on campus—we have specific directions for our site administrators to contact the district office and to make sure that we check on any requests with our legal team before we provide any information,” he said. “We’re going to have a pretty stringent standard to make sure that we’re not giving out any information that we’re not required to.”

Guadalupe Union School District (GUSD) has similar processes in place to ensure the safety and privacy of its students, Superintendent Emilio Handall told the Sun. He highlighted how the new federal directive is not going to change the district’s dedication to ensuring that every student receives a quality education. 

“We instituted a board policy four years ago in anticipation of this environment, and we’re going to continue to do everything we can to keep our students safe,” Handall said. “We’re committed to keeping our students safe and our community safe, and we’re balancing keeping them safe without creating more anxiety.”

Handall explained that GUSD wants to remain focused on providing students with a high-standards education but that this new policy has been a “huge distraction.”

“We have a tremendous obligation and load to lift,” Handall said. “All of this chaos is putting more on the plates of educators, and we’re hoping to inform our community, keep our students safe, and continue to stay focused on our primary mission, which is educating our children.”

Superintendent Darren McDuffie of the Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) wrote in a statement to the Sun that the safety and well-being of students are the district’s “top priorities,” emphasizing the SMBSD’s dedication to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students.

“The Santa Maria-Bonita School District understands that the national events and conversations around immigration may be causing anxiety for some members of our community,” McDuffie wrote. “We share a dedication along with other California school districts to safety, respect, and inclusivity, regardless of race, immigration status, identity, or personal circumstances.”

Local community organizations are also stepping up to help families navigate the uncertainty this new policy has brought on. One organization is CAUSE (Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy), a local nonprofit that functions as part of the 805 Immigrants coalition to provide resources and support to undocumented community members. 

CAUSE Co-Executive Director Hazel Davalos said that the organization is currently trying to inform everyone of their rights, “making sure that local institution leaders, whether school districts or hospitals, know their rights if ICE tries to conduct raids in these areas that were once considered safe.” 

Davalos encourages undocumented individuals to stay home as much as possible right now, recognizing the importance of still attending work or school. From what she’s seen and heard from local community members, ICE activity has significantly increased in the region. 

“I think we all hope that the intensity of the ICE activity is more of a statement at the beginning of [Trump’s] administration and that things will calm down,” Davalos said. “But, I think the greatest hope we have is that our community will come together and find the best ways to hold on to one another, keep each other safe, and really call in institutional leaders who perhaps were on the sidelines before to step up and support immigrant families in our region.”

She said it was important for local school districts to disseminate accurate information about immigrant rights and provide training to faculty and staff to ensure the safety and security of every student. 

“The fear is palpable right now,” Davalos said. “We really need to look to the institution leaders locally to do what they can to provide some protection at this moment.”

Staff Writer Emma Montalbano can be reached at emontalbano@newtimesslo.com.

This article appears in Feb 6-16, 2025.