School districts in Washington have responded in varied ways: some have provided comprehensive guidance, and some have provided none at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shortly after the DHS announcement, Bellevue School District Superintendent Kelly Aramaki shared with his superintendent blog<\/a> support for undocumented students and reiterated standing policies<\/a>, such as not collecting students\u2019 or their families\u2019 immigration statuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joy Haverstick, a Tillicum Middle School counselor and interventionist, said she is aligned with and supported by these policies from the Bellevue School District, which is just east of Seattle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Haverstick said these policies include office staff protocol if an ICE officer walks into a school\u2019s main office and how teachers should interact with ICE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m glad that the policy and procedure has been spelled out and it\u2019s very clear,\u201d she said. \u201cI definitely think that our district is supporting our undocumented students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her role, Haverstick engages with a large portion of the student body, so she has a wide perspective on how the issue is impacting students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen our kids hear stories about everything that\u2019s going on in the news, their takeaway is that they don\u2019t matter. And that\u2019s sad,\u201d Haverstick said. \u201cIt is our job as educators to make our community safe, inclusive, and valued.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Haverstick said little learning happens when kids feel fearful. She also said students use immigration status as something to bully other students about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese are human beings. Words have a big impact on our kids. It\u2019s not our kids\u2019 fault what happened or how they came to be,\u201d Haverstick said. \u201cThey\u2019re just here to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The situation is different in Onalaska, a small town outside Chehalis in southwestern Washington\u2019s Lewis County. \u201cI\u2019m terrified,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Immigration issues are hardly talked about amongst her students, with conversations instead about things like pop culture, Ferari-Zimmerman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She added that although her students aren\u2019t of voting age, it is important for them to keep up with the issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her student population at risk under DHS actions\u2014a population she says she can count on two hands\u2014is small but mighty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey\u2019re the students that show up on a daily basis,\u201d Ferari-Zimmerman said. \u201cThey have really good grades. They want to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Runelle Davis, a sixth-grade teacher at Grant Elementary in eastern Washington\u2019s Douglas County, isn\u2019t as concerned about ICE activity. Her school is part of the Eastmont School District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t feel like my job is changing or anything is different,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students stayed home in January to protest presidential actions, Davis said. Other than that, she said she hasn\u2019t heard much from students or seen a change in their behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, Davis feels her district is prepared. She has access to resources that she can share with students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those resources include organizations like Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition<\/a>. Muro said immigration legal service requests have skyrocketed since the presidential election, with families using those services to update their immigration status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The coalition also encourages families to create an immigrant family planning guide. This procedure identifies who will take care of children and other family members in case of a family member\u2019s deportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, Muro wants businesses, organizations and anybody on the front line to know their rights and that ICE officers must have a judicial warrant before detaining someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sydney Ferari-Zimmerman, a first-year family and consumer sciences teacher, said teachers have received limited guidance on what to do if ICE enters their schools or what to tell students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abby Muro, the organization\u2019s executive director, said they are focused on amplifying immigrant voices and providing resources for the immigrant community to thrive.
The coalition shares information about its events through schools and also connects people to immigration legal services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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