By: Erik Gil, Follow South Jersey Intern
SOUTH JERSEY – On January 22, the New Jersey Department of Education issued a letter in response to the recent actions issued by the Trump Administration placing Immigration and Customs Enforcement at public sectors targeting churches, courtrooms, and schools.
The statement made by Assistant Commissioner Division of Educational Services Kathy Ehling and Assistant Commissioner Division of Field Support and Services Ambrose F. Duckett III states its commitment to ensure every student receives a legal and free education regardless of immigration status.
“Under the Supreme Court’s ruling in Plyler v. Doe (1982), public schools are constitutionally obligated to provide all children with access to free public education, emphasizing that educating undocumented students is not a choice but a legal responsibility,” Ehling and Duckett stated in the letter.
As of mid January, reports have been made of the executive order for ICE to target courthouses, schools and churches. This has grown concern among educators and families in communities.
Rowan University English Professor Dr. Bill Freind said in a statement regarding the recent actions, “If the people urging raids on schools and churches were really concerned about immigration, they would have proposed legislation to at least improve our broken system. They haven’t done that, which clearly indicates that this is really about racism and cruelty.”
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has recommended resources for school staff, officials, and communities alike to adhere to state and federal requirements related to immigrant students and families. According to the NewJersey.gov/security/studentrights
website, a section is entitled “School-Related State and Federal Requirements Pertaining to Immigrant Students and Families” listing guidance to follow federal guidelines in place to ensure the right of students to be in school.
Some of the statements made on the webpage are information ensuring the safety in an event if immigration enforcement enters a school. For example: “If an immigration agent seeks to or enters school grounds in an official capacity, immediately contact the Chief School Administrator. Obtain information from the agent regarding their credentials, the purpose of the access request, and any documentation that authorizes school access.”
Other information suggests knowing your rights such as FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records, except as provided by law.
Sal Randazzo, Coordinator of Communications of Deptford Public Schools, issued a statement to what the school district stands behind in light of the recent enforcement: “New Jersey has a lot of laws in place to protect student’s safety as well as their privacy. Our goal is to protect student records. We are not just realising information in absence of a judicial warrant and we are compliant with FERPA at all times. Constitutionally we are required to educate all students regardless of their immigration status. We do recognize that we have immigrant families in the community that may experience anxiety due to the recent changes and we do have school counselors and other resources for families if need be. If we see any immigration agents on campus, all staff know to notify the superintendent.”
The New Jersey Department of Education says they are ensuring the right of students to receive a fair education in the United States as it is required by law.
To read the full memo from NJDOE click here.
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