Trump administration immigration policies stoking fear in Arizona education community

Editor’s Note: This is the third of a three-part special series called “Immigration in Arizona Today” that dives into the latest border issues affecting the state. Read part one here and part two here.

PHOENIX — As President Donald Trump follows up on campaign promises to massively increase deportations in the nation, those in the Arizona education community are drumming up concern about their impact on students and their families.

On Trump’s first day back in office, Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) approval to go into schools, churches and more to investigate undocumented migrants.

Now in Arizona, the reality ICE may show-up to a school has undocumented migrant families concerned and possibly distrustful of sending children to school.

According to immigrant and student advocacy group Aliento, there are around 140,000 students in the state that come from a family with at least one undocumented member.

Aliento’s vice-president of education and external affairs José Patiño was among those thousands of students in his youth.

He says families today in similar situations are scared.

“We cannot guarantee school safety, so it’s putting extra burdens on teachers, counselors and principals,” Patiño said.

Arizona education community concerns to persist

While the department stated it was undoing a Biden administration guideline, blocking ICE from going into schools and more was first ordered in 2011 under the Obama administration.

Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne believes parents, despite concern, should still have their children go to school.

“They [families] should send their children to school,” Horne said. “If ICE goes into a school, by their own declaration they’d be doing it to go after a criminal that’s hiding there, they wouldn’t be going there to go after children.

“Please do not keep your children home from school.”

Horne also says ICE cannot be legally prevented from entering a school.

But for Patiño, an issue remains: Why allow ICE into schools at all then?

“Students are not the target, 7-year-olds, 10-year-olds … they’re not a national threat,” Patiño said. “Why even remove the sensitive-areas memo? Why even bring this conversation up? Why even create more uncertainty for our families and students?”

Districts taking action

School districts throughout Arizona are hesitant to talk about this issue.

But they have taken actions on their end, including at the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU).

PXU’s governing board passed a resolution last month making the district a “safe zone” for students, meaning it will not give government agencies direct access to or information on its students without parent approval.

PXU, in a statement, said it would protect its students.

The Phoenix Union High School District continues to monitor the evolving situation around immigration and enforcement. Recently, the PXU Governing Board passed a resolution providing clarity for our families regarding student information and interactions with other government agencies. We remain steadfast in our commitment to preserving the rights of all students under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, regardless of immigration status.

Patiño says there are many families in Arizona who may not see why a decision like this matters and who likely won’t be impacted by it.

“It’s something you cannot avoid,” Patiño said. “I know that individuals who live in certain areas, it’s something they never have to think about or never have to encounter. But for the community I work with, it’s a number one issue.”

Undocumented students to continue seeking education

Carolina Silva with Tucson-based ScholarshipsA-Z works with undocumented students as they navigate high school and determine their educational futures.

She explained students in the United States have a legal right to a K-12 education, no matter the status of their citizenship.

That’s based on a 1982 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

But she also says that right is being infringed on and more families in the undocumented community are having second thoughts on sending their children to school.

“Some students ask us, ‘Hey, am I up for grabs? Can they come in to my high school, like, can someone take me?’” Silva said.

Her concern is how rhetoric around immigration and fears of deportation could impact an entire generation of students who are “constantly anxious and scared.”

“It’s just been really hard to provide any certainty to families at this point,” Silva said. “But we’re doing our best just by sharing know your rights information and awareness. Because that’s all we can do.”

Olivia, whose name was changed to protect her identity, is a current undocumented graduate student at one of Arizona’s major public universities.

She says throughout her life, she’s had to come to terms with the fact her family would face invisible barriers that others wouldn’t.

“Moments I couldn’t participate in the same programs as my other classmates,” she said. “Or when I saw my mother struggle with things other families didn’t seem to worry about.”

But she says despite those barriers, undocumented students and professionals in college are committed to uplifting communities they call home.

“We need to keep undocumented workers, students, entrepreneurs in their communities,” Olivia said. “It benefits everyone, strengthening their local communities and fostering inclusive growth.”

In light of a recent event where ASU student-group College Republicans United called on other students to report peers to ICE, Olivia believes the university needs to do more.

“The university itself needs to be more proactive in addressing the concerns of their undocumented students. Particularly in response to harmful rhetoric on campus,” Olivia said.

She credits her success as a current graduate student to the undocumented community local to her and urges other in similar situations to connect with theirs.

“Home is here,” Olivia said. “We continue to organize, support each other and create opportunities even when the system tries to shut us out.

“Fear tactics won’t break the bonds we’ve built.”

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