RECAP: Supporting Immigrant Students and Families in Hostile School Environments Webinar
As national debates around immigration grow increasingly heated, schools, which should be sanctuaries of learning and belonging, can unintentionally mirror the hostility, fear, and discrimination seen in broader society.
As parents, caregivers, and protectors of our children, we have a responsibility to ensure they feel safe, seen, and heard. If we are not intentional in the ways that we show support to immigrant students and families, the consequences can be dire. School environments that encourage harmful policies, implicit bias, and do nothing to teach cultural competency can often create environments where immigrant students feel unsafe, unseen, and excluded. Left unchecked, these hostile conditions not only harm students’ academic achievement and mental health but also weaken the fabric of school communities.
MomsRising partnered with The Advancement Project to host a webinar designed to educate members about the realities faced by immigrants across the country and how they can support immigrants in their communities and schools, called “Supporting Immigrant Students and Families in Hostile School Environments.”
Click here to watch the full event!
We invited six expert panelists to discuss their organizations' roles in protecting immigrant communities and provide resources for how members could get involved.
Adaku Onyeka-Crawford from The Advancement Project broke down current legislation that allows for the deportation of undocumented citizens and the new laws that make it easier for police to target people. In this ever-changing moment, where news is constantly evolving, it is essential to understand weed through the misinformation and center the community's experience. The media and current administration continue to use intimidation tactics and disinformation to scare and confuse people about the rights people are entitled to.
MomsRising’s own Beatriz Beckford defined hostile environments, state “[a] hostile environment for immigrant students in public schools refers to conditions, whether systemic, interpersonal, or both, that make immigrant and undocumented students feel unsafe, unwelcome, marginalized, or discriminated against, thereby impeding their right to a safe and supportive education.” These environments for students can include bullying, cultural and linguistic marginalization, fear of immigrant enforcement, lack of support services, educator bias, low expectations, exclusionary practices, criminalizing absenteeism, barriers to higher education, and political and media climate spill over.
Melissa Labossiere of the American Teachers Federation shined a light on the current status of students, schools, and ICE. Since the administration came into office, schools have been removed as “sanctuaries,” which now allows ICE and police to enter schools, potentially. The lack of transparency and consistency within schools prevents students and parents from knowing students' rights within schools and how to best protect their child. Not all school administrators and teachers are willing to protect these students, so it is essential to be aware of and develop plans to protect students and their families.
In the second half of the webinar, we turn to our state experts who share snapshots of what is happening in their communities.
Nina Perez is the Florida State Director at MomsRising, and highlighted what is happening in her community of Jacksonville. As ICE raids and detentions become more prevalent, Nina spoke about the fears of parents for themselves and their children in public schools. There is a hesitancy in the community about ICE and police showing up to public school programs, such as dual language classes, to target students who may be undocumented, come from undocumented families, or mixed-status families. Part of combating hostile school environments is identifying parents, school teachers, and administrators who will protect students, and raising awareness that not everyone will do so. The lack of continuity, consistency, and transparency of school guidelines is another area of concern. It emphasizes the importance of understanding your rights and those of students. In a time when we may feel powerless to fight these policies, Nina reminds us that involvement in local politics, such as attending city council or school board meetings, holds significant power.
Fernando Martiniz of the Education Justice Alliance (EJANC), based in North Carolina, spoke about his organization's work in combating the prison-to-deportation pipeline by providing alternatives to police in schools and communities. EJANC’s development of programs that would institute community intervention workers, as well as community members trained in conflict de-escalation, would reduce the number of students entering the criminal justice system. Too often, these students are entered into the Federal Criminal Gang Database, and if they apply for citizenship, that record will prevent them from obtaining permanent status. Programs like these aim to address the school-to-prison pipeline and school-to-deportation pipeline by challenging the system at its inception. Protecting students and teaching these conflict resolution skills protects them from the prison system and strengthens their cases when applying for citizenship.
Melina Arellano Flores of Puente AZ spoke about her and her organization's work in Arizona. As a youth organizer, she has developed a program outline with the specific documents and details required for a person detained by ICE. The “Know Your Rights At Court” program provides families with the information needed if dealing with immigration courts and potentially ICE in court. Puente AZ has made a detailed effort in educating volunteers to show up at ICE raids to support community members and hold ICE agents and police officers accountable. These programs are offered throughout the community to educate others and engage with local leaders.
Finally, Lorena Quiroz spoke about her work at Casa IAJE, an organization established in response to the ICE raids that occurred in Mississippi in 2017. She stressed the importance of talking with and educating people in our communities who may be aware of the issue and want to help, but lack a comprehensive understanding of immigrant communities. There is an emphasis on engaging with the youth to provide a space for them to process what is happening and how to move forward. Lorena spoke about the uphill battle she and immigrant communities face as misinformation and disinformation are spread on TV, social media, and by Republican state legislators. This type of fearmongering is instilling fear into immigrant communities, forcing people to disappear, not go to work, and miss school. Casa IAJE has stepped into this space to create conversations amongst parents, students, and community members about real risks occurring right now and how to protect themselves adequately, such as “Know Your Rights” cards and informing parents which school administrations and teachers are “safe”.
Don’t forget to watch the full event!
In a time where policies and government actions are continuously changing, it is our responsibility to have the backs of our Brown, Black, and immigrant communities. We can fight these racist and archaic policies by educating ourselves and each other about the rights and protections provided by various organizations.
MomsRising and the Advancement Project have compiled a list of various national and state-led Mutual Aid Organizations aimed at supporting community members in providing food, housing, and legal assistance.
The fight is far from over, and it will take all of us to stand in community and protect those who face persecution from this administration.
Here are some resources to share in your community:
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