Last week Governor Newsom sent out a letter of gratitude and support to California school leaders. He encourages us all to continue "to provide all students with a safe and supportive environment...[and] to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the rights and dignity of all students within our education system including immigrant students and students from immigrant families. You can read the letter in full here.
California Public School Legal Reminders
Key legal reminders for California public schools, such as SIATech, provided in the letter include:
- Non-Discrimination. All students, including those who are undocumented or come from immigrant families, have the right to attend public school, participate in school activities, and receive a quality education without discrimination.
- Safe School Environment: Schools are generally prohibited from voluntarily granting access to campus by immigration enforcement officers, in the absence of a judicial warrant or court order. Schools are prohibited from requesting social security numbers or inquiring about the citizenship or immigration status of students or their parents or guardians, unless explicitly required by law.
- Confidentiality of Student Information: Schools must protect the privacy of their students. Schools are prohibited from sharing personal information about students or their family members for immigration-enforcement purposes without a court order or judicial subpoena.
Support and Resources for California Families
The letter also provided an initial set of resources that SIATech staff can reference and share with students and families:
Immigration Services
- CalNEW serves socioeconomically disadvantaged newcomer students, unaccompanied undocumented minors, English-learners, and immigrant families.
- Immigration Help may be available from state funded nonprofit organizations. See a provider list here.
Mental Health Resources
- CalHOPE Warmline (833) 317-HOPE (4673) - currently provides telephone and text-based services in English and Spanish. For callers requesting to receive support in other languages, the CalHOPE Warm Line provides telephone-based (not text-based) services via a third-party interpretation service (Language-Link), which offers telephonic interpretation in over 240 additional languages.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This line also offers interpretation in 240 languages through Language Line Solutions. There is also a national 988 site in Spanish. Individuals can call or text 988, press 2, and get access to a Spanish-speaking counselor 24/7.
CYBHI: Flyer for Parents and Flyer for Students
Online Mental Wellness Resources:
California v. Hate Hotline - https://www.cavshate.org
Any victim of or witness to a hate incident or crime in California can report it and receive support by calling 833-8-NO-HATE; (833) 866-4283 Monday - Friday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. If outside of those hours, you can leave a voicemail, or you can call 211 to report hate and seek support.
You can currently submit reports online in 15 languages and, when calling the hotline, you can get access to support in over 200 languages. If you want to report a hate crime to law enforcement immediately or you are in present danger, please call 911.
Additional Resources for Staff and Immigrant Students and Families
If you have questions related to these items and/or SIATech's legal obligations as a California public school, please reach out to Dr. Delia Castillo. Her email address is delia.castillo@siatech.org and phone is 562.727.0667.
