NYCLU and MRNY Call on NYCPS Chancellor to Protect Immigrant Students

New York, CMC

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and the immigrant advocacy group Make the Road New York (MRNY) are calling on the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Chancellor to take “immediate, decisive steps” to better protect Caribbean and other immigrant students against potential United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement actions.

The organizations have sent a letter to NYCPS Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos urging her to protect school facilities and records from ICE.

NYCLU’s Concerns

NYCLU, a non-profit organization that defends civil liberties and civil rights in New York State, said the action follows President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s recently announced plans to end restrictions on ICE arrests at sensitive locations, such as schools, places of worship, and hospitals.

MRNY’s Recommendations

MRNY said recommendations include strengthening protocols against non-local law enforcement’s access to school facilities and student records, codifying the updated protocol as regulation, and swiftly training school administrators, student safety agents, and other school staff to enforce the protocol correctly.

Johanna Miller’s Statement

“All young people in New York have the right to attend school, no matter their immigration status or their families’,” said Johanna Miller, the director of the NYCLU’s Education Policy Center.

Dali Alban’s Statement

NYC Public School student and MRNY member Dali Alban said every student, regardless of immigration status, deserves to feel safe in school.

Proposed Steps

MRNY said proposed steps for strengthening the non-local law enforcement protocols include clarifying that NYCPS will not grant ICE access to school facilities in the absence of a judicial warrant, requiring staff to notify parents of any warrant or subpoena unless they’re explicitly prohibited from doing so and requiring Senior Field Counsel to explicitly consider whether compliance with any warrant or subpoena would expose the district to liability for violating immigrant students’ right to access education or federal and state privacy laws.

Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address

Last week, immigration advocates in New York criticized Governor Kathy Hochul for failing to address the plight of Caribbean and other immigrants in her fourth State of the State (SOS) address.

Murad Awawdeh’s Statement

“Governor Hochul outlined her vision for a New York that is more affordable, where more families can make ends meet, find housing, and prosper. Yet, she failed to mention the immigrants who have already contributed so much to making that vision a reality,” Murad Awawdeh, president and chief executive officer of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella immigrant advocacy organization of over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

Conclusion

The NYCLU and MRNY are urging the NYCPS Chancellor to take immediate action to protect immigrant students and ensure their safety and well-being in school. The organizations are calling for stronger protocols against non-local law enforcement access to school facilities and student records, and for swift training of school administrators and staff to enforce these protocols correctly.

FAQs

Q: What are the NYCLU and MRNY calling for?
A: The NYCLU and MRNY are calling for the NYCPS Chancellor to take immediate, decisive steps to better protect Caribbean and other immigrant students against potential ICE enforcement actions.

Q: What are the proposed steps for strengthening non-local law enforcement protocols?
A: The proposed steps include clarifying that NYCPS will not grant ICE access to school facilities in the absence of a judicial warrant, requiring staff to notify parents of any warrant or subpoena unless they’re explicitly prohibited from doing so, and requiring Senior Field Counsel to explicitly consider whether compliance with any warrant or subpoena would expose the district to liability for violating immigrant students’ right to access education or federal and state privacy laws.

Q: What did Governor Hochul fail to address in her State of the State address?
A: Governor Hochul failed to address the plight of Caribbean and other immigrants in her fourth State of the State address.