Santa Ana Unified School District training staff in case ICE agents show up on campus

Jessica De Nova Image
Thursday, January 30, 2025
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Santa Ana USD training staff in case ICE agents show up on campus
The Santa Ana Unified School District put together a tutorial to prepare staff for the possibility of ICE officers showing up on campus.

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- The Santa Ana Unified School District put together a tutorial to prepare staff for the possibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers showing up on campus.

The step-by-step, six-minute recording shows SAUSD staff how to handle a visit from an ICE officer.

In an example scenario, a man playing the role of the officer requests student information. He's heard saying, "I have a subpoena for student information."

"There is a protocol that we have to follow. They are not allowed to just come in and come on campus," said Lisa Gonzales-Solomon, the Director of Family and Community Engagement with the SAUSD.

Gonzales-Solomon says local families are worried about mass-deportations and executive orders targeting immigrant communities.

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"We're taking our guidance from our attorney general here in the state of California, Rob Bonta. We have the current plan which came out in December and we were told that it is gonna be changing," Gonzales-Solomon said.

Gonzales-Solomon said staff are aware there are some laws to protect families and students, like the need for review of judicial warrants to determine whether to allow entry, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy ACT, FERPA, which protects student records.

In addition to providing material in more than two dozen languages with resources for families and staff, the school district is gearing up for know-your-rights workshops for families - some already have their own plans in place.

"I had one student that came up to me and said that their family was putting a plan in place. So they were working on their family emergency plan. They're scared. They're scared of having their families separated that's, I think, the biggest fear for everyone. It's parents and students alike," Gonzales-Solomon said.

Gonzales-Solomon told Eyewitness News, as of Wednesday, student attendance had not decreased.

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