SAN JOSE, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill (AB) 49, the Safe Haven Schools Act. This is a significant victory for students and families, as it strengthens protections against immigration enforcement on school campuses.
Authored by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), AB 49 was co-sponsored by the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) and the Santa Clara County Board of Education (SCCBOE). Trustees provided testimony before legislative committees and rallied support for the bill.
“I want to thank Assemblymember Muratsuchi for having the leadership to author AB 49 which ensures that schools are among the safest places for children,” said Santa Clara County Superintendent Dr. David M. Toston, Sr. “Our County has the largest concentration of immigrant families in California, and AB 49 strengthens the protections schools have to turn away immigration enforcement.”
“County School Board President Maimona Afzal Berta and I were proud to be part of this bill’s success, representing more than 160,000 residents in Santa Clara County who live in mixed-citizenship households,” said Trustee Jorge Pacheco, Jr. “AB 49 will give school staff confidence that they have the authority to deny entry to immigration agents without a judicial warrant by making this protection explicit in state law.”
“This legislative change supplements the local work the SCCOE and SCCBOE are engaging in to mitigate feelings of fear and danger,” said Board President Afzal Berta. “These efforts included writing a coalition letter with 17 of our school districts publicly expressing our commitment to protect immigrant students and families to the greatest extent allowed by law; setting up trainings for our County and District school staff on how to respond to immigration enforcement agents; and organizing legal clinics at our districts.”
- Guidance on protecting student and family privacy
- Attorney General recommendations for responding to immigration agents
- Information on caregiver affidavits
- Updates to school safety plans
- Additional resources for supporting immigrant families
To further assist districts in ensuring student safety, SCCOE will continue to host trainings to prepare staff in the event immigration enforcement agents attempt to enter a school site.
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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. 
