Colorado schools commit to protecting students ahead of potential mass deportation

A mixture of fear and uncertainty hangs over Colorado school districts as they begin to navigate the looming threat of mass deportations under President-elect Donald Trump and figure out how to protect their students.

It’s a particularly thorny question for districts that have seen an influx of migrant students in recent years, including Denver Public Schools, which last year opened up its classrooms to an estimated 4,000 students from Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico.

Trump has resoundingly called for mass deportation of undocumented migrants, saying on the campaign trail that he intends to roll out “the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America” starting the first day of his second term. The scope of his plan is unclear, but educators across Colorado are meeting his deportation agenda with a resolve to keep their immigrant students safe. In statements provided to The Colorado Sun from districts and the Colorado Department of Education, state and local leaders have echoed one another in a vow to protect their students.

Promises by districts to shield students from deportation and preserve their right to Education are reinforced by federal and state law. Schools cannot deny enrollment to students based on immigration status, ensuring all kids have access to a free public Education, per a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Plyler v. Doe in 1982. Additionally, provisions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of protected classes including national origin, race and color.

“We stand ready to support our state’s schools with guidance and resources for supporting all students,” CDE spokesperson Jeremy Meyer wrote in an emailed statement.

The state education department Friday emailed recommendations to superintendents to help them continue supporting immigrant students and families. Among the reminders the department provided is federal guidance spelling out that “schools are protected spaces where federal immigration authorities should not conduct immigration activities.”

The department also encouraged district leaders to share with their school communities that schools do not seek, collect or track students’ immigration status. That information plays no part in a student’s right to enroll in a public school, according to federal law.

Meanwhile, some Colorado districts say they simply do not have enough information about Trump’s deportation plans to know what action they will need to take to safeguard students. Many districts are just starting conversations about what their role might look like.

And some districts are stressing over jeopardizing the safety of their immigrant students and families.

One superintendent of a rural school district expressed deep concerns with highlighting local policies aimed at protecting kids and families, worried it “may end up inadvertently targeting our district, teams, and most importantly, the students and families we are committed to serving.”

Most district officials that spoke to The Sun didn’t want to discuss specifics, and many others wouldn’t address the topic at all, not wanting to call attention to their district’s students. 

“All students deserve a secure and nurturing environment”

In DPS, the state’s largest district with about 85,000 students, board member Scott Esserman has been particularly vocal about the need to defend students’ right to education, regardless of their background. 

At a board work session earlier this month, Esserman doubled down on a board commitment to protect immigrant and undocumented students, pledging to pass additional board policies to keep those students safe.

“We will take care of you,” he said during the work session. “That’s our responsibility.”

Esserman told The Sun that, following the election, he wanted families to hear straight from the board about its intentions to ensure schools remain safe spaces.

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“Given the significant amount of dis-ease that we know is going on, I felt like it was more important than ever to make that statement and let our families know that we’re supporting them,” Esserman said, calling the threat of deportation a “violation of human rights” and a disruption to families who are trying to make Colorado their home.

He noted that he must consult families who could be deported, school leaders and other board members about the kinds of critical board policies that would further secure student safety.

“What’s critical is the people who are most impacted by any policy have voice in what that looks like,” Esserman said, “and I want to make sure that we are responsive to the needs of those communities.”

Administration from at least one DPS school — Merrill Middle School — emailed parents a few days after the election to reassure them that the school’s first priority is its students and families.