In light of new federal policies that could lead to immigration raids at schools, Albuquerque Public Schools is trying to reassure students’ families that the district remains focused on caring for students in its charge.
“Recent pronouncements on the national stage have prompted many pertinent questions about how Albuquerque Public Schools handles immigration-related issues,” states an announcement posted on the APS website. “It’s a difficult time, but we want you to know this above all: We are responsible for all students’ safety and well-being while they are at school, and it’s a duty we take seriously.”
The announcement came after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security declared it would no longer bar immigration officers from entering schools and churches to make arrests. These were previously referred to as “sensitive locations.”
The APS announcement contains a portion of the district’s policy manual that bars immigration officials from campuses and instructs personnel to refuse orders to “bring forth a student for interrogation on their immigration status or to provide any information about a student that may reveal the student’s citizenship or immigration status.”
The directive also says staff should immediately relay receipt of such orders to the school principal and APS police.
The message also says APS does not collect or maintain records of any student’s immigration status.
Other points in the announcement:
- The district has been conducting training to make certain principals and staff members are aware of APS protocols and ensure they are being followed.
- Neither the New Mexico Constitution, nor state law establishes citizenship as a requirement for school-age children to attend public school.
- The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled citizenship status cannot be used to deny public school admission to school-age children.
- APS schools cannot deny admission to a school-age child (up to age 21) on the basis of known or suspected undocumented status, or engage in any practice to deter or discourage the right of a student to attend public school.
In her weekly message to the community, Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey said Friday the importance of making students feel safe and giving them a sense of belonging have grown in light of Trump administration policies aimed at reducing immigration and increasing deportation.
“There’s a lot happening at the national level that has some of our students and families feeling anxious,” Blakey wrote. “While I’m not going to delve into immigration politics, I want to make it clear that we’re responsible for our students’ safety and well-being while they’re at school. We have a responsibility under both state and federal law to accept all school-age children who walk through our doors regardless of their immigration status. And we have a legal and moral obligation to uphold all students’ constitutional rights to a public education.”
She called on community members to do their part in providing reassurance to students who need it.
“We can’t control what’s happening at the national level right now,” Blakey wrote. “But we can control how we respond. So I ask you to be a port in the storm for our students. Let’s do our best to create an environment where each and every one of our students feels safe and to give them a sense of belonging. That work will pay dividends.”