RICHMOND — With the Trump administration now in place, West Contra Costa school leadership has been ramping up communication on how the district plans to keep its community safe from potential immigration raids, with more work to come.
“Our first priority is ensuring that your students are safe,” said Interim Superintendent Kim Moses.
On Wednesday during a West Contra Costa Unified School District Board of Education meeting, Moses provided an update on the district’s efforts concerning potential raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Moses said immigration raids on campuses are unlikely to occur but the district is ready in case they do. She said staff have been directed to “stay vigilant.” In addition, alerts have been sent to parents, guidance was issued to staff detailing district policy, and resources have been shared on how to prepare for a possible raid.
District policy prohibits staff from cooperating with immigration agents unless they have a judicial warrant. If agents do appear on campus with a warrant, staff is directed to call the Superintendent’s Office where Moses said a team is on standby to review any legal documentation and decide what steps to take next.
Agents are not permitted beyond the front office of any school, Moses said. If agents do appear on campus, staff are directed to take students inside. Principals have been given cards with information that they can distribute to parents and the community is encouraged to attend Know Your Rights training held by Reimagine Richmond.
The ramp up in communication is a response to threats by President Donald Trump to institute widespread deportations of people without legal status in the country and the administration’s waving of a policy under former President Joe Biden that prohibited ICE activity in sensitive areas like schools, churches and hospitals.
No known ICE actions have taken place in the school district so far but immigration activity has been reported in parts of the Bay Area and rumors of ICE agent spotting have swirled for weeks, sparking protests across the region.
Hundreds marched down 23rd Street in the rain as part of a student protest on Feb. 2 in Richmond, a sign of unity among a school community home to many immigrant and Latino students and those in mixed-status households. According to the California Department of Education, about 58.5% of the district’s roughly 29,500 students are Hispanic or Latino, a group largely singled out in immigration and deportation rhetoric among Trump and his supporters.
“This is really important,” said board Vice President Demetrio Gonzalez Hoy on Wednesday. “It’s on everybody’s mind and I just want to make sure that we’re making it clear to our schools, our students, our staff that we have their backs no matter what comes from the Trump administration or anyone from the national level.”
The focus now needs to be on closing or preparing for any potential loopholes, Gonzalez Hoy said. He noted school pick ups and drop offs as an area of concern and Trustee Jamela Smith-Folds questioned whether the district had plans to protect its community during bigger school events like proms or graduations.
Moses said memos will be sent out to those in charge of monitoring students as they come and go from campus and that security plans have not been drafted for larger gatherings yet but staff will begin developing ideas.
Trustee Cinthia Hernandez stressed the importance of collaborating with leadership outside the district, noting Richmond officials have expressed an interest in strengthening its sanctuary city policy.
“It’s crucial that we sit at that table with local cities, especially when it comes to sanctuary policies,” Hernandez said.
Student Trustee Jorge Espinoza recommended the district distribute fliers with QR codes on campuses to help students access important information on their rights and campus policies. President Leslie Reckler encouraged regular messaging, including in paper form, to parents and broader school communities rather than sending a single large message that could be overwhelming and go unread.
Trustee Guadalupe Enllana implored district leadership to draft “purposeful” specific site plans tailored to each campus and its needs and to send out details on those plans to parents.
“Every site is different,” Enllana said. “This is good as a starting point but I think there needs to be a lot of loose ends that we need to tie in if we’re going to protect our community.”
