Carolina Fabian, a member of the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education, has extensive experience working closely with the families in the city’s public schools.
Aware that some family members are immigrants who may be undocumented, she said people must have a plan. She hears stories that some board members fear may become more commonplace should President-elect Donald Trump follow through on his promise to carry out mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
“We did have a student recently whose family member was pulled by ICE (U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement),” Fabian said at a recent board meeting. “The child had no idea why. It was miscommunication. It was resolved.”
On Nov. 25, the District 60 Board of Education discussed potentially updating a 2018 resolution making it a Safe Haven District, so safeguards are in place if Trump orders mass deportations.
“We have heard the president-elect’s rhetoric, and we have families who are a mixed status,” board President Brandon Ewing said Wednesday. “No one is 100% sure what is going to happen, but we want to make sure there is something in place for the students who are in our care.”
Ewing, who was also a board member in 2018, said members of an advocacy group came to the board then reporting there was a level of anxiety in the community. They wanted assurance the schools were a safe place. The resolution approved then made the schools a safe haven with several provisions.
Board member Adriana Gonzalez said she wanted the board to be aware of the 2018 resolution and be prepared for what may happen on Jan. 20 and beyond if Trump implements the deportation policy he advocated during his campaign.
Gonzalez said the resolution is apropos to the current national situation and will help school staff to be prepared for “what is going to come in January. Leadership at all levels must be ahead of it.”
“I think (this resolution) is really relevant to a lot of the students in our school district, so I wanted to take the time to have the board reinforce (it), but also to bring up collaboration with the superintendent and her team and the context in which it arose,” Gonzalez said.
Fabian said families who have some members who may be at risk if Trump orders mass deportations should develop a plan, especially if the parents are immigrants and the children were born in the U.S.
“Families need to have a plan if someone in your family is pulled by ICE,” Fabian said. “There should be a plan for your child. Who’s picking them up? Who are the emergency contacts for them? Who can take care of them?”
Christine Lensing, another board member, suggested reissuing the 2018 resolution with language relevant to dealing with some of the ideas Trump has suggested, in the event they come to pass. Acknowledging some agencies assist people who are undocumented, families should be aware of the ones who are more adept at protecting them.
Urging all board members to read the 2018 resolution, Ewing said he looks forward to the plans Superintendent Theresa Plascencia and her staff craft to prepare families, and at the same time set them at ease.
“Read the resolution,” Ewing said. “If there is something that hits you a little differently, I think it’s a good time to bring that up.”
Kathryn VanderBroek, the district’s general counsel, said at the meeting the 2018 resolution remains in full force and effect. She also warned about legislating against the unknown.
