Dozens of community members showed up to the Pinellas County School Board's meeting Tuesday to both thank the district for not taking part in an immigration enforcement program and to urge them to reaffirm that they'll protect students, regardless of immigration status.
The advocates' demands came after the School Police Chief Luke Williams applied for the federal 287(g) program in error about two weeks ago.
The program trains state and local law enforcement in certain immigration enforcement tasks, such as executing detainers and interrogating individuals about their immigration status.
Although the application was canceled shortly after district officials found out about the unauthorized submission, immigrant advocates say the community needs more reassurance that their children will be safe in Pinellas County schools.
"Our students can't learn if they're afraid, they can't focus, if they're looking over their shoulders, wondering if today is the day that their family members, themselves or one of their class members disappears," Beth Weinstein told the board.
Weinstein, who is with the group Indivisible Pro-Choice Pinellas, said it was important for the board to know that they have the community's support.
"We understand that there is a lot of pressure that comes from both the state and the federal level. We know that there is limited things that the school district can do to fight back against some of these items," said Weinstein, "but we also understand that if they believe there is community support, they are more likely to draw a line in the sand."
Since President Donald Trump's administration has removed schools, as well as churches and medical facilities, as "protected areas" from most immigration enforcement, districts have scrambled to clarify their policies on the potential of immigration agents showing up.
A free public education is supposed to be available to students regardless of immigration status, according to the landmark Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe.
School districts, including Pinellas County, have had to walk a fine line between guaranteeing students a safe place to learn and their adherence to state and federal directives.
Many school districts, including those in the Tampa Bay region, have issued or reissued policies that say immigration agents must have a valid judicial warrant to interrogate any students or enter school property.
However, the Pinellas County School district has qualified that immigration agents have "certain rights even in the absence of a warrant," and that the district can only operate "within the bounds of the law."
Lee Bryant, president of the Pinellas County Teachers Association, was also present at Tuesday's meeting.
He urged board members to pass a formal resolution that would reaffirm some of the district's existing policies on how to navigate immigration agents showing up to campus, such as requiring that the Superintendent's office review any requests to visit a school.
"Enacting the safe schools resolution by the school board will at least publicly signify that our schools are a safe place to learn," said Bryant.
The resolution was not on Tuesday's agenda, but Bryant hopes the board will consider it in the future, "to formally declare our position on keeping our students safe, not only at school, but going to school and going home from school."
