East Hillsborough Democrats on ICE in schools
East Hillsborough Democrats on ICE in schools: After the Trump Administration decided that they would allow ICE to snatch kids out of schools, the local community was of course very concerned. Although the Hillsborough Superintendent stated that “We do all we can to protect our students,” members of the EHDC believed that more could and should be done to ensure parents didn’t come to pick up their child and find out they had been taken.
January Hillsborough County School Board Meeting
Our President, Drew Vaughn, decided to act and attend a School Board meeting to ask them to do more to ensure Hillsborough County Students are protected. The Superintendent did speak about it at the end of the meeting, but at that point, they didn’t take action.
More Steps to Were Needed to Protect Kids
In terms of the East Hillsborough Democrats on ICE in schools, we knew the fight was not over. Drew Vaughn continued working on this issue, this time with the Florida PTA and in early March, the organization took an official position to protect kids.
1.Require Official Identification and Documentation – School districts should mandate that federal immigration enforcement agents present valid ID and judicial warrants before being granted access to school premises or potential interviewees.
2. Limit Authorized Contacts – Schools should designate specific, trained administrators as the only authorized points of contact for federal immigration enforcement. This ensures compliance with legal requirements while preventing unnecessary access to students that would otherwise disrupt the learning environment.
3. Parental Notification – PTA recommends that parents or guardians be notified before any student is approached or detained by immigration authorities. (Florida law does not require/mandate parental notification to question a minor.)
4. Protect Student Records – School districts must strictly enforce compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), ensuring that immigration enforcement agencies cannot access student records without proper legal authorization. (PTA supports the confidentiality of school records, including records that pertain to the immigration status of children. Unrestrained access to school records to determine such status can pose a threat of unintended consequences due to any materials in a student’s file that may be inaccurate.)
5. Adopt Student Interview Safeguards – PTA recommends any interviews involving students with law enforcement should occur only in the presence of a school administrator and a parent, guardian, or their legal representative. Ensure students know their rights against self incrimination as per the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
6. Preserve Instructional Time – Law enforcement actions should be restricted to non-instructional hours, ensuring that students’ education is not disrupted.
Back to the School Board
In early April, Drew and several members of the East Hillsborough Democratic Club went back to the school board to once again, encourage them to ensure they had a policy that protected kids. With the guidance from the Florida State PTA in place and models from other counties, the East Hillsborough Dems pushed again for Hillsborough to strengthen their policies and protect students from ICE.
There’s more work to be done
Hillsborough schools do not keep records about students’ immigration status and citizenship is not required for children to attend public school. However, with the increased frequency of masked ICE agents showing up at baseball fields, taking kids on their way to school, and targeting children in general, more can be done and needs to be done to protect our kids.
Does this fight sound long? Yes. Does this fight sound difficult? Yes. Does this fight sound worth it? Yes. At the East Hillsborough Democratic Club, we are committed to taking action for the good of all members of our community. If that sounds like something that you’re interested in, attend our next meeting, or join today! We look forward to having you on our team.