The Princeton Public Schools is prepared to protect undocumented students and their families as President Donald Trump’s administration announced recent plans to enforce immigration law.
Under a 2021 memorandum issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, schools were among the “protected areas” that were generally off-limits for immigrant enforcement action.
But on its second day in office, the Trump administration rescinded the Biden administration policy and now allows enforcement and arrests in or near protected areas – which includes schools.
In a typical U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid, agents may have a list of names of individuals they are seeking to detain, according to published reports in the National Law Journal.
The raids, which are unannounced, also may be targeted toward a particular industry that is known to have large numbers of undocumented employees, such as restaurants and the hospitality, construction, cleaning and agriculture industries, the report said.
Nevertheless, the Princeton Public Schools and the New Jersey Department of Education are ready to address the issue of immigration enforcement and the schools.
Interim Superintendent of Schools Kathie Foster said the Princeton school district will continue to work with its community partners to ensure the safety and well-being of its students.
State and federal laws prohibit school districts from denying enrollment in the schools on the basis of the child’s or parents immigration status, school district officials said.
The Princeton school district does not require students to disclose their immigration status, nor does it make inquiries of students or their parents that may expose their undocumented status.
But the change in policy under the Trump administration means ICE agents may go near or in the schools in connection with immigration enforcement actions.
If an ICE agent arrives at one of the schools, school officials will instruct the agent to wait in a specific area, according to a set of frequently asked questions (FAQ) on the district’s website at www.princetonk12.org.
School district officials will not give ICE agents access to students, family members or staff until they process the request through the district’s attorney to ensure that applicable policies and laws are followed.
The Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF) issued its own statement on the Trump administration’s enforcement measures on undocumented immigrants. LALDEF promotes the rights of all immigrants, with a focus on the Latin American community in Mercer County.
Undocumented immigrants in the local community are trying to better understand their rights and to expedite their pathway to citizenship, according to LALDEF’s statement. They have questions, fears and uncertainties about the changes in United States immigration policies and procedures.
“We are experiencing a significant influx of new inquiries, and we anticipate that demand will continue to increase in the weeks and months to come,” said Cecy Jimeniz-Weeast, LALDEF’s executive director.
“We expect this rapidly changing and highly politicized landscape to challenge us in ways we have not experienced in our past.”
LALDEF will continue to promote the rights of all immigrants and facilitate access to health care, education and legal representation. It will continue to advocate for the integration of immigrants and foster inter-cultural communication, the nonprofit group said.
