Since then, school districts in the Tampa Bay area have tried to walk a fine line, vowing to cooperate with law enforcement and also reminding families that schools are a safe place for children, regardless of immigration status. Around 60, children without required legal documentation are enrolled in Florida schools, according to the Migration Policy Institute. What do district policies actually say? Doe Districts are also bound by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which protects student privacy and restricts the sharing of personally identifiable information without parental consent.
We wouldn't know who is illegal or legal. In Hillsborough, school board documents show that such requests must first be directed to the principal. In Polk County, schools have been told that if U. Ask them to provide the name, date of birth and home address of the individual. Also ask for their name and phone number if a business card cannot be provided.
No action should be taken without explicit direction from district leadership. Manatee County schools spokesman Mike Barber said no official guidance has been sent to school leaders. Viridiana Carrizales is the executive director of ImmSchools, a nonprofit that has helped districts across the country develop immigration policies. Carrizales pointed out that ICE agents must have a valid judicial warrant to proceed with their requests.
Most of the time, agents will be carrying an administrative ICE warrant, instead, she said, which does not carry the same legal weight as a judicial warrant which must be issued and signed by a judge. That's because federal immigration agencies have "broad investigative authority," said Pinellas school district attorney David Koperski during a Jan.
And, school staff should try to have an administrator present during any questioning if a parent is not available. This will be reviewed by district legal counsel, and you will be directed as to next steps. In Sarasota, school board member Tom Edwards said at a workshop on Feb.
