SAN JOSE, CA – More than 165,000 students in Santa Clara County live in a mixed-immigration status household, and many are living in fear. Families are hesitant to send their children to school, attend parent meetings, and access critical services. To address these concerns, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) and the Santa Clara County Board of Education (SCCBOE) are co-sponsoring legislation in support of student protection through
Assembly Bill 49 (AB 49), the California Safe Haven Schools Act.
“AB 49 would extend important protections for our students, communicate to families that schools are a safe place to learn, and empower schools to continue to resist immigration-enforcement actions to the greatest extent allowed by law,” said SCCBOE President Maimona Afzal Berta.
Authored by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrence), AB 49 protects immigrant children by providing reassurance that schools will not collaborate with immigration enforcement agents. The bill would prohibit school employees from allowing enforcement officers to enter a school without providing valid identification and a signed judicial warrant.
On April 9, President Berta testified before the Assembly Standing Committee on Education to underscore the need for AB 49.
“Without additional protections, schools in our county are likely to see dips in student attendance and parent participation that we experienced in 2017 and 2018,” said Berta. “While we have done everything we can locally to reassure and stand with our community, AB 49 would support us in protecting students.”
The SCCOE and SCCBOE have led several efforts to reassure families and school staff that school is a safe haven regardless of immigration status. A community letter was written to publicly express a commitment to protect all students and families, with 17 school districts signing on to the letter. Additionally, Know Your Rights trainings for county and district school staff were coordinated to explain how to respond to immigration officials. Legal clinics are being organized to provide families with access to confidential legal consultations.
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About the Santa Clara County Office of Education
Working collaboratively with school and community partners, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) is a regional service agency committed to serving, inspiring, and promoting student and public school success. For more information about the Santa Clara County Office of Education, please visit www.sccoe.org and follow us @SCCOE on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 
