Keep Schools Safe
All children have the right to an education in the United States, and schools should be safe places for learning and social development. Every person in Ohio has rights, including immigrants with various citizenship statuses. It's impossible to determine someone's immigration status by looking at them or hearing them talk. Making an assumption is racial profiling.
If someone in your school needs an interpreter, do not contact ICE or the Border Patrol. Their job is to arrest people, not provide translation.
The resources below provide specific guidance for educators, administrators, families, and students to ensure schools remain places of learning and safety for all children.
Resources for Students & Families
Know Your Rights & What To Do:
• Students' Rights: ICE at Schools - Understanding your rights when immigration enforcement appears at school
• Parent Response to ICE/CBP Presence - Guidance for parents on how to respond if immigration agents approach your child's school
Know Your Rights Guides:
• Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE)
• ACLU of Ohio Student Immigrant Rights Guide
• Ohio Immigrant Alliance: Ohio Is Home
• Immigrant and Refugee Law Center
• ACLU Immigrants' Rights
• National Immigration Law Center
Resources for Educators & School Personnel
Guidance & Toolkits:
• School Safety Patrol Guide - Created by grassroots organizers in Ohio. Need an editable template? Email: info@honestyforohioeducation.org
• Guidance on Immigration Issues Toolkit - Comprehensive resources from National Education Association, including:
• Safe Zone Policies: what they are, how they work + sample resolutions and model policies
• Know Your Rights: Immigration Enforcement
• How Educators Can Safely Engage in Immigration Advocacy
• Mass Raids FAQ
• DACA Update
• Protecting Immigrant Students Action Kit - Created by The Advancement Project, including:
• Federal Executive Orders and legislation, State attacks on Plyler, and local agreements
• Model Policies & Procedures for Protecting Immigrant Students
• Tools for Advocacy
• Keep ICE Away from Public Schools - Ohio Education Association guidance
• School Support Staff Organize to Protect Immigrant Families - Article from NEA Today
Student Support Strategies:
• 10 Strategies for How Schools Should Respond to Help Children Impacted by ICE Raids - Infographic by IDRA
• Immigrant Families and Students Messaging - By Leading Now
• Why Schools, Hospitals and Communities Must Remain Places of Care, Not Fear
Professional Development & Training Resources
• Re-Imagining Migration - Transforming the educational ecosystem to ensure immigrant-origin youth and their communities flourish
• ImmSchools - Supporting educators in creating inclusive learning environments
• Immigrant Connections - Helping educators and other professionals better serve immigrant and refugee children through training, coaching, and consultative services
• Supporting Immigrant Children: Resources for Ohio Child Providers and Practitioners - From Case Western Reserve University Schubert Center for Child Studies
Communication & Advocacy Tools
• Protecting Every Student's Right to Education Social Media Toolkit - Ready-to-use social media resources
• Protect Undocumented Children's Right to Access Public Education: A Communications Toolkit - From NEA
• Honesty for Ohio Education - Protecting Immigrant Students - Curated resources for Ohio educators
Additional Support
Every child deserves to learn in a safe, welcoming environment. If you need additional support or have questions about protecting immigrant students in your school, reach out to:
Ohio Immigrant Alliance: admin@ohioishome.org
Honesty for Ohio Education: info@honestyforohioeducation.org
Schools are pillars of our communities. When we protect all students, we strengthen Ohio.