Immigration

Aspire Public Schools is committed to providing a safe environment for students to receive a high quality education. We serve all students, including students who are undocumented or who have undocumented families. We value diversity and believe that the diverse backgrounds of our students and families help create a rich educational environment. To ensure that students and families feel safe on our campuses we do not collect any information about the immigration status of our students, and we have enacted polices prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.

Read Aspire’s resolutions on our commitment to Dreamers and immigrant children in the Aspire community:

• Commitment to the Dreamers in the Aspire community
• Commitment to the education of all immigrant children

Information for families regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement expected actions targeting immigrant families for raids, deportation, and family separation. 

This information is intended to be a resource for families; it is not legal advice.

• You can take important steps now to prepare for an emergency. Make sure you have provided the most up-to-date information on your schools’ emergency card, including multiple adults that could potentially pick a child up from school.
• In addition, review a sample Family Preparedness Plan (from Immigrant Legal Resource Center) and use to create your own: English, Spanish, Chinese.

Know Your Rights:

• Do not answer questions without a lawyer: If you are undocumented, have a pending immigration case in court, or are being questioned about a person in such a situation, you should give your true and correct name but should not answer any other questions.
• Do not open the door unless the officer/agent shows you a warrant: You do not have to open the door for an immigration agent unless they slip an arrest warrant that has your name or is signed by a judge or magistrate under the door. If you are detained, you will be allowed to make a phone call so memorize a number you can call.
• Keep a Red Card with you: Regardless of immigration status, all people have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. Print red cards from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and use the guidance on them to assert your rights in situations such as if ICE agents go to your home.

1. Know Your Rights & Ensure Others Know Theirs:

• ACLU  videos break down how to prepare in case of an ICE arrival. 
• From the Immigrant Resource Law Center:
  • Language-specific know-your-rights handout to help families prepare for a possible interaction with ICE
  • Printable red cards in eight languages to distribute to community members
  • A family preparedness plan in English, Spanish, and Chinese
  • A train-the-trainer toolkit on holding a Know-Your-Rights presentation in your community
• Host community screenings of  Know-Your-Rights tutorial videos from the National Lawyers’ Guild, both in English and in Spanish.
  
• Learn more about DACA: Several organizations have assembled high-quality resources about the DACA program, including Ready California, Informed Immigrant, and United We Dream.

2. Be an Ally in Action:  

• The deportation defense hotline from United We Dream is 1-844-363-1423 – use it if you witness an I.C.E. Raid or any other immigration activity in your community.
• Volunteer legal services with We The Action, a digital platform that makes it easy for lawyers to find and volunteer for critical, impactful, and urgent legal needs. Lawyers can sign up to access projects here and nonprofits who need lawyers can sign up here.
• Call on your Senators and Representatives to restrict funding to Border Patrol and ICE, which were responsible for family separation, the recent deaths of children in custody, and are now planning to terrorize families and communities across the country with raids. Dial 1-202-224-3121 to be connected now. 

3. Support Organizations Doing Critical Work:

• Organizations providing assistance and legal aid to immigrant families. Learn about groups such as Al Otro Lado, Justice in Motion and the Southern Border Communities Coalition, who are on the front lines in reuniting families, providing legal representation, and advocating for policies to support immigrant communities.
• Connect with and support non-profit legal services providers across the country.

Legal Resource Guides: 

• What do I need to know if the DACA program ends? (in Spanish and Chinese)
• First 24 Hours After Being Detained by ICE: What To Do
• Social service contact information for Immigrants in the East Bay and across CA

If you have any questions about our commitment to serving all families, please feel free to contact us at info@aspirepublicschools.org.  Additionally, here are some frequently asked questions about our practices at Aspire:

FAQs

Q: Does a parent’s immigration status or a child’s immigration status affect whether the child can attend public school?

A: No. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution provides a right of equal access to education to children regardless of their immigration status or their parents’ immigration status.

Q: Does Aspire Public Schools ask for a child’s immigration status?

A: No. Aspire enrolls students regardless of their immigration status or any other protected classification. Aspire does not ask for immigration status at the time of enrollment or at any time. Aspire does not maintain any record of any information regarding immigration status and therefore cannot share that information with any federal immigration officials.

Q: What does Aspire do to ensure that no student or family is discriminated against or harassed because of their race, ethnicity, religion, national origin or other protected classification?

A: Aspire believes deeply in ensuring equity and in providing safe learning environments for students. Aspire enforces its policies that mandate no discrimination or harassment for our students, families, or employees on the base of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin and any other protected classification.

Q: What should I do if I feel like I have been the victim of discrimination or harassment?

A: Please report the behavior immediately to a supervisor or school leader. We take these issues very seriously to ensure that our schools continue to be safe spaces where all are welcome and valued.

Q: How can I learn more about my immigration rights?

A: You should rely on  immigration attorneys and other experts to provide you with accurate advice about immigration status and how you can pursue any legal rights you might have. A list of available resources can be found below. Also, you can seek an immigration attorney from the American Immigration Lawyers Association here.