‘Safe place’: Fresno education leaders vow to protect undocumented students

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Fresno education leaders met Thursday to address the recent immigration sweep in Kern County.

This comes as students return to school this week after Winter Break, with schools noticing a decline in attendance due to fear of deportation.

Central Unified, Fresno Unified, and the Fresno County Board of Education were among the agencies speaking out, assuring parents that their students are safe at school.

“The law has been settled long ago, since Plyler v. Doe of children is entitled to a public education, regardless of immigration status, and we’ll do all we can to advocate and protect all of our students,” said Nabil Kherfan, Central Unified Board of Trustee, Area 4.

Kherfan reassures parents that school districts do not participate in immigration policy enforcement. 

“We haven’t had this kind of level of fear in the last four years, and it’s going to increase, and there’s a lot of questions,” he said.

Questions following the California Border Patrol detaining close to 80 people in the Bakersfield area, leaving migrant families in fear that they could be next.

“There have been some, you know, reports from individuals within the immigration department saying that they’re planning to have raids in Sacramento and Fresno,” said Itzi Robles, Fresno County Board Trustee, Area 3.

This hits close to home for Robles, who attended Fresno schools from K to 12, as an undocumented student.

In first grade, her father was deported after a traffic stop.

Despite such a traumatic event and the fear it induced for her and her family, she continued her education.

“School just always felt like a safe place,” she said. 

And that’s exactly what Fresno County school districts want for every student in the valley. 

Moving forward, the districts are working together to collaborate on training and workshops on these issues, ensuring a unified approach. 

“We want everyone in our districts to know what they should be doing,” said Kherfan.