The Board of Education for Hempstead Public Schools has issued a statement to reassure parents who are concerned about President Donald Trump’s deportation policies.
Hempstead school board President Victor Pratt emphasized the district’s unwavering commitment to the health, safety, and well-being of all students, regardless of their circumstances.
“‘Our top priority is ensuring that every student feels safe and supported while attending school,’ Pratt said in the statement, noting that “the law states that school is a safe space.”
“To that end, the district is working with its legal counsel to ensure compliance with federal law, the New York State Education Department’s guidance document labeled ‘New York State Guidance on Safeguarding the Rights of Immigrant Students,’ and Board of Education policy,” he added in the statement.
“The district is scheduling training with its administrators on how to handle law enforcement inquiries and visits at Hempstead schools,” according to the statement
More germane to parental fears about children’s immigration status, “Schools are also prohibited from requesting a Social Security Card or number, or any information that would reveal immigration status at the time of enrollment. And schools must immediately enroll migrant and unhoused students even if they lack proof of residency, immunizations, school records, or other documents typically required for registration.”
The federal Family Education and Privacy Rights Act of 1974 holds that immigration status cannot be disclosed to federal or local law enforcement without parental consent, and only in very limited legal circumstances.
If requests for immigration status, or for any other personally identifiable information, are made to the school district, the school administration is not to hand it over. Instead, the school administration should ask for the subpoena or documentation on which the request is based, and if the documentation is received, the administration should contact the school attorney before doing anything further.