We All Belong

We All Belong: Safe and Welcoming Schools For All

On February 2, 2017, the Davis School Board approved a resolution providing a clear and transparent statement that DJUSD shall be a place where all students, employees and families feel welcome and safe regardless of their immigration status, race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or gender expression.

Specifically, the resolution addresses procedures for responding to federal immigration enforcement action as well as policy changes around data collection on student enrollment. The resolution marked an important, first step to begin the process of examining current policies and procedures, educating school employees, and working closely with community partners to ensure that all students and families, including those that are undocumented or marginalized, are able to receive education in a safe and supportive environment.

Important Updates to State Immigration Protections under AB 49 and SB 98

Assembly Bill 49 and Senate Bill 98 , enacted into law in 2025 provide key protections for California immigrants. This includes:

Warrants Required: Federal agents need a judicial warrant (signed by a judge, not just an ICE official) to enter non-public school areas (classrooms, offices, playgrounds) or to question students. This was already a long-standing practice of DJUSD and our staff continue to take all necessary steps to maintain a safe and secure environment for our students.
No Warrant, No Entry: School staff must not allow entry without a valid judicial warrant, subpoena, or court order.
Information Shielded: Schools cannot share student or family information (school records or immigration status) with ICE without a warrant. DJUSD does not collect immigration status so there are no school records available with this information.
Parental Notification: School districts must notify parents/guardians if immigration officers are on campus, with procedures outlined in school safety plans.

In order to strengthen our family protections, DJUSD has implemented the following:

Updated Board Policy 5145.13 Response to Immigration Enforcement to reflect changes in the law.
Updated Administrative Regulation 5145.13 Response to Immigration Enforcement to reflect changes in the law.
Staff continue to be trained to notify the District Office immediately if immigration enforcement is confirmed on a school site. A District Office administrator will review the court documents with our legal counsel for validity prior to any confirmation that the student attends a DJUSD school.
Parents and school staff will be notified via emergency messaging systems when immigration enforcement is confirmed on a school site.
Updated our 2025-26 Comprehensive Safety Plans for each school site to include information about parent notification in the event immigration enforcement is on a school campus.
Updated the District's Caregiver Agreement to allow non-family members to act on behalf of a student.
Trained staff and placed posters in school front offices stating that Student Information is confidential and will not be shared without the parent/guardian consent.

Resources

Resource for Including Immigrant Families can be found in the State Immigrant Toolkit.

Practice Kindness and Positive Language throughout the day in your classroom and at home. Edutopia has some great lesson plans that are applicable both at school and at home.

Resources to Include Immigrant Families in the School Environment

The Governor’s Office has issued a new web resource that centralizes information about protecting immigrant families, especially California’s many families who have mixed immigration status. This page includes relevant guidance about maintaining safe school environments, protecting student data, and providing access to mental health resources: https://www.ca.gov/immigration/.

Including Immigrant Families

Immigration Legal Resource Center Community Resources

National Immigration Law Center: Know Your Rights

ACLU Know Your Rights

UC Immigrant Legal Services Center- UC Davis

Immigration Legal Services