Chelsea Schools Adopt Resolution on Student Safety and Immigration Enforcement Access

The Chelsea School District’s Board of Education held a special meeting on February 2 that saw the approval of a resolution setting forth a governing board directive regarding safety and immigration enforcement access within the district.

Recent United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Ypsilanti was cited during the meeting as a motivator for this resolution.

During the meeting’s public comment portion, a few district residents spoke up and urged the school board to support student safety. One speaker said ICE coming into the district could turn educators into enforcement agents and students into targets. He said the schools should be a safe place for students.

A key section of the approved resolution reads:

“Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration enforcement agencies and their associates or affiliates shall not be permitted to enter, remain in, or conduct immigration enforcement activities within any Chelsea School District (CSD) owned, leased, or operated building, facility, vehicles or non-public area of school property, nor be granted access to students absent the presentation and review of a valid judicial warrant by Chelsea School District administration. All such reviews shall be handled in a manner consistent with Board policy and applicable law.”

In giving some of the reasoning that led to the resolution, Chelsea school board president Erin Hunt-Carter said during the special meeting there have been changes at the federal level in immigration enforcement that have created uncertainty and anxiety in many communities across the country, including in Chelsea. She cited a situation on Jan. 27, when ICE detained parents of Ypsilanti Public School students at a bus stop during student drop-off.

“This incident was troubling and it also clarified the need for us to proactively review our policies and reaffirm to the public that we are committed to providing a safe, welcoming and supportive learning environment for all students regardless of national origin, citizenship or immigration status,” Hunt-Carter said. “I want to be clear that our responsibility as a board is not to engage in politics, but to ensure that our schools remain safe, orderly places of learning and that we have clear, lawful procedures in place for situations that could disrupt out ability to do so. The draft resolution that we’ll be discussing this evening does not change our existing policies. However, it affirms that the district controls access to its non-public property during the school day and that access to students or non-public areas is permitted only under very specific legal conditions.”

One legal condition for access is the need for a valid judicial warrant, which would need to be reviewed by CSD administration.

Before voting on the resolution, the school board had some questions around certain words/phrases. The board made some edits to the drafted resolution before its official approval.

Here is the official resolution:

“Student, Staff, and Community Safety: Immigration Enforcement Access

WHEREAS,

• The Board of Education is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of students, staff, and the broader school community; and
• The District has a responsibility to maintain safe, orderly, and uninterrupted learning environments on school property; and
• Immigration enforcement activity on school grounds would be disruptive to the educational environment; and
• Michigan school districts retain the authority to control access to non-public areas of school property consistent with applicable law; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1. Judicial Warrant Requirement for Immigration Enforcement Access

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration enforcement agencies and their associates or affiliates shall not be permitted to enter, remain in, or conduct immigration enforcement activities within any Chelsea School District (CSD) owned, leased, or operated building, facility, vehicles or non-public area of school property, nor be granted access to students absent the presentation and review of a valid judicial warrant by Chelsea School District administration. All such reviews shall be handled in a manner consistent with Board policy and applicable law.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption and shall serve as the governing Board directive regarding student safety and immigration enforcement access.”